The Project Integration Saga
by TheAuraManipulator
Summary: A mysterious young man discovers an interesting book atop the Lincoln Memorial. As he reads, he discovers things about the past that challenge everything he ever knew. He quickly realizes that his life would be more complicated than he had ever anticipated, as the weight of the world suddenly falls onto his shoulders. (Warning: Lemons.)
1. I: Early Experiments

**The Project Integration Saga  
** **Volume One: Project Integration**

A young man found an old, tattered box on the roof of the Lincoln Memorial. He slowly opened the tiny box, to which it revealed an old journal. He took the delicate journal in his hands, opened it up, and a detached note fell from the inside into his lap. The text inscribed on it was tiny, and it looked more deliberate and thought out, as opposed to a simple scribbled note. The young man began to read.

* * *

 _To Whom It May Concern,_

 _This journal is the true account of my life. It contains controversial topics, sexual situations, mild language, and gore. This journal is not to be taken lightly, for its messages are sincere. Take heed in its meanings. Read on, curious discoverer, and become enlightened on the past that you were never taught._

* * *

Intrigued, the man flipped over the inside cover page and started reading.

* * *

 **Prologue: Mr. Pokémon**

A tall man, whose dark brown hair flailed about wildly in the brisk breeze, took the stage, carefully focusing on the stairs as he looked at his jet-black dress-shoes. He then glanced behind him, finding his beautiful wife following him up to the stage with her sea-foam blue dress flowing in the wind. The man's tuxedo was sharp, with no visible wrinkles anywhere, and it was being accented by a velvet red bow-tie. Once they both stood on the stage, which was situated right in front of his modern white mansion, they approached the podium in the center of it, with a roar of applause coming from the onlooking crowd. The man looked at his attendees. They all ranged in age; some were young children while some were around his age, 37 years old. Cameras flashed and reporters impatiently filmed and broadcasted the man, waiting for him to say something juicy and exciting for their watching audiences. He would not disappoint.

Before he spoke into the microphone perched upon the podium, he looked over at his wife with an unsure look on his face. His wife returned his look, staring into his eyes. Her sparkling eyes gave him reassurance as if her eyes were saying, 'It's alright, I'm here. It's time to tell the world.' Content, the man looked back at the crowd and sighed. After that, he began to speak.

"Hello and welcome to my new home in beautiful Southern California. Thank you all for coming on this rather windy morning," he paused as a gust of wind hit him as if on cue, causing the audience and the man chuckle. He quickly recovered and continued, "Many of you are wondering about why I have moved here and opened up a laboratory. Today, after a few months of research at this new lab, I have a huge announcement for all of the Pokémon lovers of the world."

Everyone was silent, waiting to hear what he had to say. Earlier in the month, the man had announced that his research would lead to a revolutionary development in the world of Pokémon, generating quite the buzz throughout the world.

"I am happy to announce that a breakthrough in our top-secret research has occurred. So big, in fact, that I can confidently say what I'm about to say to you. But first, a little preface on my passion. I was born in the year 2000 and grew up around video games, namely a franchise called Pokémon. Now, 37 years later, I still love it's ingenious concept. Now, I can officially say that the game will become a reality on Earth."

Upon him saying this, gasps and a few claps came from the crowd.

"That's right, we have successfully genetically engineered the first Pokémon ever. By 2040, I am confident that my research team and I will be able to fill the world with Pokémon." More applause and cheering came from the excited crowd. "That is all I have time for today, now I must really be getting back to work, thank you all."

He turned away from the podium to look at his wife, who was smiling happily at her husband, proud of their accomplishments. Through the roar of a crowd, a loud bang rang out. The man flinched and saw his wife of 14 years fall limp onto the stage floor. His wife had been assassinated.

 _Today, it's June 12, 2052. The 15 year anniversary of when my team, my wife, and I created Arceus, our first Pokémon. Yes, I was the man in the tux. Yes, I am Richard Jonas, better known as Mr. Pokémon. The nickname came from my 'fans,' who couldn't help but compare me to the old man from the game who researches Pokémon. Apart from a simple nickname, I feel that it is necessary that you understand who I am, so read on._

* * *

 **I: Early Experiments**

I stood at my wife's casket. Her face looked peaceful, it seemed to be glowing as if she was vibrant with life. I knew full well that it wasn't, that bastard sniper made sure of that. I began to cry silently as I laid a bouquet of light pink roses, her favorite flower, on top of her.

I turned away, tears covering my eyes as I heard a voice in my head; it was Arceus. _'Master, I am deeply sorry for your loss, know that her soul is in good hands.'_

I returned a message in my head, as he could read thoughts, 'Thank you, Arceus. She was a good woman. She was there for me through it all. I don't know if I should continue the research.'

 _'Master, she wouldn't want anything more than for you to carry on.'_

I wiped away my tears and took a seat by myself in the rows of seats, waiting for my time to speak about my wife. I knew that I could never experience love again.

Months went by before I continued with my team. They were adamant on not producing any more Pokémon until they were given the OK to do so by me. It was a funny thing, being 'Mr. Pokémon.' With The Pokémon Company collapsing from bankruptcy a while back, no one owned 'Pokémon' anymore, not even Nintendo, Game Freak, or Creatures. They just couldn't keep up with the evolving video game platforms, which began to become more virtual-reality based. But I never took the Pokémon brand, I just kind of inherited the concepts.

The events leading up to my wife's murder seem hazy. As if I have been slowly erasing my past. I realize now that my past is important. Important for others to know, but not for me to dwell upon.

(Flashback)

I wasn't always that popular. Sure, I graduated top of my class in high school and got my doctorate in biology two years after that, as well as a masters degree in education, but after all, I was just some 21 year old boy teaching a high school biology class in Ohio. I was an idea man, who would invent things and sell the concepts to large companies for lump sums of money, I was fortunate to have such a creative mind. With some of the money, I did some mad-scientist experiments in my free time, involving things like the Miller-Urey Experiment and whatnot. I messed around with the origins of life, trying to crack the code. I was told by my then-girlfriend that I should stop trying to play God. She was also a biology major, and was still in college at the time. Of course, stubborn me didn't listen to her.

As the months went by, my experiments grew larger and with it, my curiosity grew larger as well. I could feel it. I could feel myself getting close to the answer. One day, I found it. I created life, albeit a few bacterium, but I created life. I told nobody, not even my girlfriend. The consequences of my findings could be devastating to the world. I was so ecstatic at my accomplishments that I made a rash but still very wise decision.

I bursted out of my house, hopped in my car, and drove down to the jewelry store by my house. My heart was beating fiercely, with my body listening to its every command.

I went in, walked straight up to the jeweler and said, "what is the most beautiful diamond engagement ring you have?"

He told me to wait where I was as he went to fetch a catalog. I tapped my fingers on the display case glass, impatient as all get-out, my passion booming. He returned and I hastily flipped through my options. My eyes fell upon one specific ring and I fell in love with it. It was speckled with small white diamonds around a rose gold ring. In the center, a larger crystalline diamond was perched in another lining of rose gold.

"This is perfect."

The jeweler looked at me in confusion, saying, "Sir, this ring is $34,000. Do you have that kind of money?"

I glared at him, with a hint of offense being shown on my face. "It is not wise to assume the well-being of others. I know I look like I'm fresh outta high school with no money to my name, but I can assure you that I am no ordinary man. I have the money."

Although I did have the money, I knew deep down that the ring costed me a large portion of my entire year's salary from teaching. I silently thanked my younger self for selling his inventive ideas.

I bought the ring and returned home, hiding the ring in a safe to make sure that Sarah, my girlfriend, would not find it. Her birthday was coming up, and I decided that that would be the best time to ask her.

Weeks later, the day came, Sarah held a quaint little family party at her house, which I was invited to. The entire day, my heart pumped out of my chest. I arrived early to help her set up, the ring was tucked in my inside coat pocket. While I helped her clean, my mind raced with memories of us being together. It seemed like we had been together for an eternity, but it felt that it was just yesterday that we were in high school, cracking jokes and going to the movies with her. My worries replaced my memories, 'what if I mess up? What if she says no?' My head throbbed in pain. I looked over to Sarah, who was staring at me as I was sweeping her kitchen floor. Her eyes darted away and she blushed. I smiled and continued sweeping.

Later, her parents and her sister arrived. After we ate dinner and talked for awhile, I found a time to pull her parents to the side, as Sarah was deep in conversation with her sister. I told them about what I was going to do and asked for their permission, they were shocked beyond belief. They both said yes, albeit with a little hesitation, and hugged me tightly. I happily returned their hug.

Everyone brought out her gifts. Sarah was not one for gifts, as she felt that she was always obligated to return the favor. Hesitantly and shyly, she opened up one present after another, acting surprised and happy as she received them, thanking whoever got it for her. After every gift I got more nervous, as my time was nearing. After all of the gifts, I stood from where I sat on the couch, walking over to her. Sarah looked at me confusedly, her wavy dirty-blonde hair resting beautifully at the sides of her head. I reached into my suit pocket, where I had relocated the ring to. Taking it out of my pocket, I stared into her loving, warm eyes as she gasped and brought her hands to her mouth. I knelt to the ground, never losing my gaze on her beautiful blue eyes.

I held out the box to her and said, "Sarah I love you with all my heart. I cannot imagine my life without you in it. So, Sarah, will you marry me?"

She started to tear up as I slowly opened the box, revealing to her the dazzling rose gold diamond ring.

What she said made me the happiest man in the world, "Oh my God, Richard! Of course!" I smiled, stood up, and embraced her in a warm kiss. After the kiss, I wrapped her up in my arms for the longest and warmest hug I have ever had. I held her close, with her head over my shoulder. She whispered, "I love you," into my ear and I whispered the same back. Her parents and sister sat on the couch, all teary-eyed, and clapped in happiness. I knew that my life was going to be great.

We waited until after she graduated college to get married and when we did finally get married in 2023, I told her about my newest experiment. I told her about how I had created life. She was not into the idea of it at first, but she still supported my efforts.

Later in life, when I began to genetically engineer larger animals out of thin air, she began to start supporting and assisting in it, as we found that it had serious medical applications as well. I even created her own German Shepherd puppy for her, she named it Bosco. Our experiments remained secret until her sister found out about them. She leaked it to news reporters, who began to interview us. I never forgave her for that. It was then that we became household names; the people who played God and succeeded.

The world became divided, those who were in favor of synthetic life and those that were against it. Those who were for it began to follow me as a kind of fan-base. I was never fond of having fans of my work, I liked it more when it was just my wife and I. They took all the fun out of my work, replacing it with stress. I couldn't let the people who followed me down.

After a while, we had run out of things to create and run out of ideas. Our time was being wasted by the media and interviews with the press. During the night, we would sit there at our desk, brainstorming what animal to create next. My mind kept going back to one idea, but I kept pushing it away. I thought, 'I will not make that synthetically, that needs to happen naturally.' I looked over to Sarah who was deep in thought, unaware of my staring and sudden blushing. I had always wanted a child, but I could never have one. Not because I physically couldn't, but because we were just too busy. If it had not been for the press, we would have had a child.

Sighing in realization, I looked over to my shelves on the wall of our home in an attempt to distract myself. Resting on a custom-made stand was my ancient Game Boy Color. It reminded me of when I was a child, when my life was simpler. I would play 'Pokémon: Special Pikachu Edition' religiously, becoming enveloped in the feeling of pride as I would smash through challengers with my powerful team. I did every chore imaginable to get enough money to buy it. I sighed, reminiscing on the past. Sarah snapped out of her thoughts and looked at me.

"What are you staring at?" She asked.

I replied with, "Oh, just my old Game Boy. Such good memories."

She looked at the old device as well and said, "I remember when I used to play 'Pokémon Gold' on my Game Boy."

She sighed, resting her head on her hands as she stared at it. A few seconds went by before we both jolted upwards and stared at each other. We both knew we had the same idea. We knew it was crazy, weird, and most likely not going to work, but we both said the same thing in unison. "Let's create Pokémon." Now, sometimes I wish that I had never looked at that damned Game Boy.


	2. II: The Creators

**II: The Creators**

Arceus was an accident. Sure I was trying to create the Creator, but I didn't mean to in the way that I did. I wanted him to be his own being. I wanted him to act like the creator of the universe, but instead, he acted like my pet. I was guilt-ridden that the God of the Pokémon universe thinks that I am the God of the Pokémon universe. I did not intend for it to be like this. I created him to take some weight off my shoulders, but his burden flattened me instead. I kept telling him to take control of his own life and be the ruler he was meant to be, but he only replied with, _'Master, I will forever be by your side. You are my creator.'_ Maybe I should've started smaller, like a Weedle. Oh well, it's too late now.

Finding no luck in untaming my new 'doG,' I focused on the next creator. My team and I made major changes to our synthesizing machines, hoping that it would make the Pokémon act more wild, while still being controllable. Our particle collider in the lab had to be reworked as well; it was creating too much fusion power, which resulted in Arceus' overly-destructive attacks.

Arceus also caused another problem; he used most of our element supplies. My head researcher and biologist in my team, Veronica, did my inventory for me. She was in a frenzy.

"Doctor Jonas, we are low on sulfur and nitrogen, and we are almost completely out of oxygen, hydrogen, carbon, magnesium, potassium, and chlorine. We should also order more sodium, potassium, and calcium while we're at it."

I frustratedly cursed under my breath, then said, "How much is all that shit gonna cost me?!"

Veronica sighed, looking at the chart on her clipboard, "Doctor, to fill our tanks, it'll cost us about $15,000."

I stared at her in disbelief. "Jesus! Arceus costed us $15,000 in elements? What the hell is a Wailord gonna cost?!"

Veronica adjusted her glasses, as if trying to look smarter than she already was, "Funny enough, Doctor, I decided to calculate that last night. It would cost you arou—"

I interrupted her, "Don't tell me, I am not in the mood to cry today."

Veronica looked at me with a disappointed look. She wanted to show me how intelligent she was. "Very well then, I am going to go contact our suppliers to see if they have enough in stock." And with that, she turned and left for her office in the laboratory.

I turned back to face my desk and held my head in my hands. The stress was killing me. Life without my wife was killing me. Arceus and the project were killing me. I laid my head on the desk and passed out from exhaustion. I worked _way_ too hard…

I woke up to Veronica shaking me. "Doctor, get up. We have some exciting news!"

I slowly lifted my head off the desk and rubbed my eyes. I opened them slowly, being blinded by the bright, white-washed laboratory interior. She took my hand and dragged me to the synthetic chamber at the other end of the lab, all the while I was dazed from my slumber. I began to wake up slightly as we arrived, seeing all of my fellow researchers gather around the box's viewing window. I was confused as to what was happening, but they pushed me up to the front row so I could see. I looked in confusedly, seeing nothing inside but the various inner contraptions the chamber had. Suddenly, Veronica flipped a lever and the machines throughout the entire laboratory revved and hummed to life. The sound was all too familiar. I held my breath in anticipation as I looked inside the gigantic black box. When the machines piqued at their resonating tones, a bright flash of light exploded from the chamber, like I was staring at the sun. A huge boom rang out and the light faded. Revealing our work.

Mew, the creator of Pokémon, hovered in the room. She stared at us through the window curiously, then said, _"Hello, humans. My name is Mew."_

I was shocked and relieved that she never mentioned 'Master.' My fellow scientists turned to me and applauded me. I replied with, "Guys, there's no need to applaud me! This is mostly the genius of you all. I mean, I _was_ asleep for most of this."

The applause was replaced by laughter as the noise died down. I walked towards the chamber door. I opened it slightly, walked in, and closed it behind me, making sure the curious creature couldn't escape. I faced Mew and asked, "Do you know where you are right now?"

She nodded and replied with, _"I have been beckoned to this universe by Arceus, who tasked me with assisting you in the creation of Pokémon in this realm."_

I was dumbfounded. Our changes worked! I regained my composure and lied, "Yes, you are correct. Arceus is here as well, and he was waiting for you to show up. So, are you ready?"

She nodded, seeming to be independent in thought but still submissive enough to follow orders. I made a mental note to take my team out for congratulatory drinks later.

I led her out of the chamber and to the room where Arceus was living. We had built an addition onto the lab to house Arceus, as he was too big and often too clumsy to be around the machines. Mew walked in, only to see Arceus playing with a enormous bouncy ball.

Mew involuntarily giggled at the cute God, and I sternly said to Arceus, "Arceus! You have a guest! Stop playing and please start acting like a God for once. This is Mew, the creator of Pokémon."

Arceus snapped out of his trance and looked at us, _"But master, you are the creator of Pokémon!"_

I flinched as Mew looked at me with confusion. She did not know that I had created her, and I had wanted it to stay that way, but alas, Arceus ruined it. _"Human, I thought that I was sent by Arceus."_ Mew looked at me like I was a freak.

I sighed and said, "Mew, my name is Richard. Your universe is something that we call a video game in this universe. We could look at a little screen and interact with your universe while being in ours." She blinked, unsure of how to respond to such an outlandish statement. Nevertheless, I continued, "No, you were not sent by Arceus. I created you. But, I still would like you to work with Arceus and help him."

She looked at me with disgust, _"How dare you! I thought that this was a divine calling, but NO! You just sent me here to do your bidding! I'm NOT a slave, and I am surely not YOUR slave!"_ She slapped me across the face with her pink tail and hovered out of the room and into the laboratory.

In shock from the slap, I panicked. I ran out of the room and yelled, "Lock the building down!"

An alarm sounded and the exits were blocked by moving sheets of steel. I looked around, trying to spot the little Mew. I looked up just in time to see her flying randomly near the ceiling like a trapped fly.

I shouted to her, "Mew, I am so sorry that I upset you! Please come down and forgive me!" She stopped, looked down at me with anger, and formed an Aura Sphere in her hands. "Oh no, we made a level 100 Mew…" I said to myself as she pointed her palms upward and let go of her Aura Sphere, hurling it at the ceiling. The ball of power ripped through the roof with ease and she escaped through the newly made hole. I cursed under my breath as she flew out of sight towards the sky.

 _-Mew's POV- (Mew's account of that day.)_

I felt betrayed. I was lied to. _'Or was I? Did I lie to myself? No matter, there's no way I'm going back there. Ever. Wait, but Arceus is there. My fellow creator was there. Should I go back? No! He's not the real Arceus! That stupid human enslaved that poor thing! I should go break the poor thing out, let him be free! Wait, no! Then I might get caught again! But I can't leave that thing to die in his jail cell! He needs to be free like I am!'_

My head raced with conflicting views. _'Oh, if only Mewtwo was here to help.'_ Deciding, I descended back towards the jail-thing. Seeing the room come into view, I began to charge at it, a bright red jet of flame enveloped me as I bulleted back to Earth. I pierced the roof of the room, and was welcomed with a scared whimper of the fake Arceus. He looked up to me, scared to death by the sirens from the lockdown and my sudden entry.

I said to him, _"A-Arceus I know you're scared, but you need to come with me! You are being taken advantage of by Richard! He wants to use you!"_ He shivered, like a frightened child. I knew he was not the real Arceus, the real Arceus would never be scared of anything.

He shakily refused, _"N-No! I can't l-leave my M-Master!"_

I looked at him frustratedly. I flew down to him and grabbed him by the ear, attempting to lift him up and get him out, but it was no use. _"Ow! Please stop! Master is a good man! I am not leaving him! I will forever be by his side!"_

I paused, astounded by his loyalty. He was like a helpless Poochyena to his trainer. I thought to myself, _'What if the Arceus is telling me the truth? Does he have a reason to lie?'_ All of a sudden, I saw Richard burst through the door, making Arceus jump as I hid behind him, hoping that Richard didn't see me. I felt Arceus' telepathic waves, causing me to panic. He was telling Richard that I was in here, I knew it.

Thinking as a last-resort, I jumped out from behind Arceus and began to use Psychic, aiming it at Richard. I began to glow purple as the attack charged.

Richard looked up at me, with his hands in the air, and said, "P-Please Mew! I am not here to hurt you! I just want your help! Arceus needs you! I need you! Please, stay."

As I was about to unleash my wrath, I stopped myself, the purple glow surrounding me faded. _"Why should I trust you?"_ I asked him.

Richard opened his mouth to speak, but Arceus spoke for him, _"I trust Master with my life!"_ Richard looked at Arceus and smiled.

I didn't know what to think. I was confused. I was lost in this new world.

I hesitantly floated down towards Richard. I attempted to read his aura, although I was not very good at it. I was able to catch a hint of it anyway. It was mostly kindness, but mixed with a tad bit of arrogance. I thought about my options and looked over at the Arceus, who was staring back at me with a concerned look on his face. I then went in front of Richard and held my hand out to him. He looked at me, and shook it. I guessed that I'd be there to stay.

 _-My POV-_

I watched Mew's face as I shook her hand. She seemed unsure, but content with her decision at the same time. She had made her mind up, or at least she convinced herself that she had.

I spoke to her in the most neutral and kind voice I could, "Thank you for giving me a chance."

She looked into my eyes and said something I will never forget, _"Thank you for giving me my life again."_ Little did I know that this was just her chance to start fresh.


	3. III: doG to God

**III: doG to God**

Mew and Arceus loved playing together, especially with soccer balls. I always had to buy new ones, as Arceus would step on them too hard and pop them. He would jump a little bit at the loud noise, like a started puppy.

Jokingly, I said, "You've costed me more money from soccer balls than I spent creating you, Arceus!"

I knew that this wasn't true, and so did he, as he chuckled playfully. _"I am sorry Master! I can't help it!"_

"That's alright, Arceus." I looked over to Mew, who was standing in front of a little soccer net. "Hey Mew? Could I talk to you for a second?"

She looked at me, unsure of what I would say, but then she responded, _"Sure thing. Be right back, Arceus!"_ She followed me outside his room and I closed the door behind her.

I then asked, "Mew, I need you to teach Arceus how to act like a god. I know that you act like a goddess, so I was hoping that you could teach him how to act. He can't act like a pet all the time."

She nodded in agreement, and then my head was filled with a voice, _'I can hear you, Master. I can read your mind.'_ I rolled my eyes, as my secrecy was futile.

"Arceus, would you stop eavesdropping!" I yelled frustratedly as Mew laughed.

Mew began her work immediately, trying to bring out the true Arceus within him. I began to see Arceus stand taller, with his head held high. His shoulders were more stiff and prideful. I am unsure what Mew had taught him, but it seemed to have worked. Arceus was always aware that he was a god, but he had just become too humble to act like one. He was instead more content with being a simple house pet. I guess I could understand where he was coming from, especially when it came to love and care. All he wanted was to be loved, he didn't want to be the one who _had_ to love. He had to love the Earth, the universe, the people, the plants, the animals, the energy—everything. He was tired of it. But he knew that it was his job to rule, and Mew made him realize it. She must've been an insanely convincing leader.

Arceus began to leave his room more often, overseeing the operations in the lab. He would frequently talk with the scientists and engineers, just to make conversation. It was never condescending, but anyone could tell that Arceus knew that he was in charge.

In the meantime, I worked with my team to increase the efficiency with which we used our machines and elements. It turned into quite the expensive project. I had invested millions and millions of dollars into my work. I stared down at my stack of bills and a couple of unwritten checks, then over to a drawer filled with receipts. I held my head in frustration as I thought about Sarah. 'Oh, if only you were here with me.' My eyes shifted over to the single picture I had on my desk. It was us, sitting in her house on her couch, smiling. I began to think about my purpose for this project, but I was saddened when I realized that I couldn't think of a purpose for it. Frustrated, I called for a meeting in my office with Veronica and John. John was the lead mechanic and supervisor, making sure that all of the machines worked and that my team was using them properly.

Veronica entered the room first. She had a clipboard in her hand. The paper on it seemed to be an overloaded schedule, with scribbles and revisions everywhere on it. John followed behind her. He had dark bags under his eyes and a slight droop to his body.

Once they sat down at the opposite end of my desk, I sighed, staring down at my glowing hologram keyboard. "Why am I doing this?" I asked, waiting for an answer. When no answer came, looked up, making eye contact with both of them, showing them that I was serious. Then I said, "If I don't have the slightest clue, then do any of you have a purpose for doing this?"

Veronica looked at me and said, "Doctor Jonas, I am doing this because I respect you and your work. I support you." John kept quiet.

"Guys, I know this is hard to believe, but I'm running out of money for this. I'm running out of passion for this. I don't even know what I'm doing anymore. I mean, jeez, this was just like some science fair project when I started it. It _never_ had a purpose!" I said.

I began to think of Sarah again. 'What was her purpose?' Tears began to form in my eyes. I felt so defeated. Defeated by my own actions. I began to sob. I slouched my head down and Veronica got up out of her chair, walked over to me, and put her hand on my back, rubbing it kindly. It felt weird, but I never questioned it, I just let her comfort me.

Then I heard Arceus, _'Richard, I am glad that you went through with this project. I would have been stuck in a videogame if you hadn't.'_

That made me realize that my purpose was no longer a selfish one. Telepathically, I called back to him, ' _You_ are my purpose. Mew is my purpose. Thank you, Arceus.' I was shocked that he called me by my name. Not hearing 'Master' made me feel more normal.

I stopped crying and lifted my head up, "I am doing this for them. Not for me," it almost sounded as if I was trying to convince myself, but I knew that it was the truth. Screw 'me.' There were more Pokémon that needed to be saved.

From then on, I made it my purpose to 'save' every Pokémon, like I was some sort of priest trying to save sinners' souls.

I called upon Mew, who flew into my office. She asked, _"What is the matter, Richard?"_

I replied with, "It's about time we create more Pokémon. I need you to assist Veronica in making the Pokémon more Pokémon-like."

 _"Sure."_

And with that, she was off with Veronica to prepare to create more Pokémon. All that was left in my office was John and I. He wouldn't look me in the eyes, which confused me.

"Are you alright, John?"

He replied with a nod and left the room without a word. I sat there, wondering what had gotten to him.

I then thought, 'Arceus, I need you to tell me what John is thinking.'

Rather than tell me, he allowed me to listen to his thoughts. John's voice began to play in my ears, as if I were listening to the radio. 'He's gonna find out. He's gonna go into the basement eventually. He's gonna see what I've done. Oh, God. Why did I have to be so selfish?! I'm as good as dead.' I listened intently, trying to decipher what I had just heard. He had done something. Something that he didn't want me to know about. I had a hunch as to what it was, too.

I got up from my desk and walked out of my office. I then approached the synthetic chamber. I looked into it through the viewing glass to find nothing. Then I looked behind it, where a tight set of stairs leading to the basement was tucked away. I had only ever been down there once or twice before, as there was no reason for me to frequent the basement. I held onto the railing which was attached to the wall and descended. I began to feel nervous, like I was about to face something that I didn't want to face. Darkness enveloped me as I descended further and my heart began to race. I got to the bottom of the stairwell and stood there, scanning the darkness. I froze as three sets of large blood-red eyes emerged from the black void of the basement.


	4. IV: Time, Space, and Antimatter

**IV: Time, Space, and Antimatter**

I gulped and shook violently. I was scared to death. I fumbled for a light switch and found it, quickly flicking it up. The lights blinked on in the basement and I was faced with three frightening creatures. One was pink, one was blue, and the final was grey and red. I stared at the threatening Pokémon in disbelief. John had created Palkia, Dialga, and Giratina without authorization. The three dragons stared at me.

 _"What's the matter? Why are you shaking, human?"_

I tried my best to calm myself down. I looked up at Dialga, who asked me the question, and said, "I am sorry, I just got frightened when I saw you. Did John make you all?" They all nodded simultaneously, but were all still a bit confused at my term 'make.' "How in the world did you fit down the stairs?" I asked the trio.

Palkia replied, _"John forced me to use my special abilities to teleport us down here. I can manipulate space and all matter."_

I grew furious. "John's going to get a serious talking to. Anyways, my name is Richard, the head researcher here. You three are free to roam around the facility, just be careful and please try and hang out in Arceus' room most of the time, the equipment is quite valuable and I don't want any of them breaking." They all nodded and Palkia teleported them out.

I looked around the basement, making sure John didn't do anything else that wasn't to my liking. Finding nothing, I began to walk back up the stairs. Suddenly, an idea came to mind, 'How much did those three cost in elements?!' I remembered that Arceus costed so much money, and the trio that I had just found were each his size, meaning that it probably costed me nearly $45,000 in elements and that's not even including the energy! I thanked God that we had spare tanks of elements in storage.

I stormed up the remaining stairs, fuming at John's carelessness. I reached the top only to find Veronica staring at me in curiosity.

"Why were you down there, Doctor?" She asked.

I didn't answer, I just sternly said, "Tell John to get to my office. Now."

She was terrified of my sudden change in mood and bolted away to find John. I returned to my office, slamming the door shut behind me in sheer anger.

Moments later, John walked in. He immediately pleaded, "I am so sorry! I never meant to disobey your orders like that! I was just cur—"

"You're fired." He stopped talking immediately. "Gather your things and leave. I am disappointed. I thought I could trust you."

He bent his head in shame and walked out of my office. I sat in my chair, motionless. I couldn't tell if I was being to harsh in him or not. But what I had done was final. And deep down, I knew that I would regret it later.

Putting it behind me, I got up and walked to Arceus' room. Well, at that point, it was more like _everyone's_ room. I carried some food in a gargantuan dog dish and more food in a tinier dish. I opened the door to see Arceus and Mew sleeping. They were cuddled up against each other. I couldn't help but notice that they were getting really close ever since Mew taught Arceus how to be more godly. I placed down the dishes silently, and stood back up.

I sighed softly, remembering how my wife would cuddle with me. I quickly shook the thought and fought back tears and continued scanning the room, finding no sign of the trio that I met in the basement. I quietly shut the door and began to stroll around the laboratory. I had never truly taken in the view of the fine machinery in the large open room, as I had usually spent my time in my office. The facility was like a whitewashed factory, with the only color coming from the sun reflecting its rays off of the stainless steel machines from the upper windows. When I bought that place, I was adamant to my contractors that I only wanted natural light in the lab area, so they stuck in a long row of clear glass windows embroidering the corner between the edges of the walls and the roof. I must say, I was glad that I didn't allow for unnatural light sources, as our electric bills were already through the roof.

I glanced up at the windows to see Palkia and Dialga hovering there, looking outward into the unknown world in front of them.

"Hey, you two! Please be careful! Some people don't like the fact that Pokémon exist, and if they see you, who knows what they might do," I called to them, in remembrance of my late wife.

 _"I apologize, Richard. We just grew too curious,"_ Palkia explained as she moved away from the window.

Dialga gave a nervous chuckle, still staring out of the window, _"Um, so what should we do about Giratina?"_

I nervously asked, "What do you mean? Where is she?"

Never shifting his gaze, he replied, _"Well, she may or may not be floating outside with a lot of humans pointing cameras in her face."_

My heart skipped a beat. The news reporters must be filming her! "Palkia! Teleport her inside!" She did as I wished and in the blink of an eye, Giratina was back inside, floating next to Palkia. "Giratina! What were you doing outside?"

She looked at me, upset, _"Why did you have to ruin my fun? I was loving the attention! Some of the humans 'oohed' and 'aahed' while others threw me gifts!"_

"Giratina, you have it all wrong. I hate to tell you guys this, but much of the world hates you right now. Those 'gifts' were probably things thrown that were meant to harm you!" The trio looked at me, sadness covering their faces. I didn't mean to hurt them with my words the way that I did. "Look guys, I am sorry. Why don't you all go into Arceus' room and play some soccer. I'll go clear things up with those mean humans."

With their heads bowed in sadness, they floated towards the giant door leading into Arceus' room single-file. Giratina fazed through the door, becoming antimatter as she did. Palkia followed, simply teleporting through the door. Dialga was last, he sighed and then used the handle, opened the door, and went inside, shutting it behind him. I turned my attention towards the double doors leading outside, nervous of what awaited me.

I had been ignoring the paparazzi and my fans ever since my wife's murder. I was too afraid. Afraid that I, too, would find a bullet in my head. I was too ashamed. Ashamed that someone, a human no less, would have the audacity to shoot an innocent person. I had recently been living in my office, too scared to return home, as memories would flood back. I tried to block the world out, trying to forget. What I did not know was that the world wanted in, with no intentions of ever forgetting.

I knew what would be out there: press and protests. Reporters with hunger for the next big scoop and opposition fearing what Pokémon could do to the world, or rather, what _I_ could do to the world.

I sighed and then pushed the double doors, and the doors answered with a creek as they swung opened for me. I stared ahead, facing a barrage of cameras. Questions were shouted from the mouths of eager reporters as chants were heard in the streets behind them. The chanters were Pokémon protestors. I was saddened by the opposition. I pushed past the cameras and the crowd and walked to my car in the parking lot. I hopped in and turned on the car, only to be met by the protesters blocking my path. I angrily honked at them to get them out of the way, but they responded by standing on my car, banging on my car, and rocking my car. They were trying to tip me over.

I hadn't realized that the debate had gotten this heated since I went into seclusion in my office a month back. I was scared to death.

I pleaded, "Oh, dear God! Please save me!" The rocking became more violent my heart began to beat faster.

 _'Did you call for me, Richard?'_ Arceus asked me telepathically.

I replied, 'Not necessarily to you, but I don't care! Arceus! Send help!'

Through my car window, behind the protesters sitting on my car hood, I saw a mass of pure darkness floating over to them. Realizing what it was, I gulped, 'Oh, this is NOT gonna be good.' Giratina morphed out of the antimatter and let out her ear-piercing screech. Everyone covered their ears, looked up at the monster and ran for their lives. I pulled forward and sped off, asking God why this was happening to me. Arceus answered, _'Because you are Mr. Pokémon.'_ I sighed, praying that I had a better life.

Arceus was adamant that he was the God I was referring to. And actually, I slowly began to feel that he was.

I arrived home shortly after, I was stressed beyond belief. I had no particular reason for returning home, but I guess that I just needed to escape it all. My mansion looked foreign to me. It was as if it wasn't my home. Nevertheless, I stepped out of my car and approached the door. Placing the key in the lock and turning, a faint click could be heard. A pad was revealed by the door, asking for my hand. I placed my hand on it and it scanned for my identity. Confirming, it beeped and another click could be heard. The pad device was once again sucked into the wall, becoming hidden and the door unlocked. I turned the handle and went inside.

I had almost expected for my wife to call for me with a 'Welcome home, honey!' But I knew that I would never hear that again. Instead, I walked through the main foyer, with the only sound being the deep echoes my footsteps. It was lonely and eerie all at the same time. Such a big house for only one man. Such a big life for only one man. Such a big burden for only one man. I ascended the split staircase slowly.

Then I heard a low roar emanating from outside. I glanced behind me and looked through the magnificently structured window hanging over the door to see that the mob had followed me to my home. I became enraged. I stormed up the stairs and ran for my bedroom. Once I got in, I briskly walked over to a wall. I tapped it three times and it revealed a keypad device. I hastily typed in my passcode and hit confirm. It responded by putting my house on lockdown. Windows were covered by bulletproof metal sheets, and possible entryways were quadruple-locked and reinforced. I sat on my bed, reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone. I had no one left to go to. I called the police.


	5. V: Birth of Rebellion

**V: Birth of Rebellion**

The dispatcher responded in a way that left me shaken. He simply asked who I was and upon hearing Richard Jonas, he scowled. I was shocked. "Mr. Pokémon, we here are not at all in favor of your work. You have caused the police force many problems in the past months. I hope you make the right decision and stop your heinous acts." He then hung up. The dispatcher hung up on me. I was infuriated. What good were the police if it didn't protect its citizens? I simply could not believe that even the police turned their back on me.

I had single handedly turned the world against myself.

I called Veronica, who answered almost immediately. "Doctor, I am glad you called. Where are you? Protestors are banging at our doors and I am not sure how we can keep them out much longer!" She sounded like she was in serious distress.

I replied, "I drove home, hoping to get rid of them, but some of them followed me home. Get Palkia, she's in Arceus' room. Tell her to teleport me back to the lab. Also, get the team to fire up the machines, set it for 1-5-0."

"When did we get a Palkia? I never oversaw its creation," she asked.

"None of that matters now! Just do it, please!" I replied.

She shuddered, and quietly said, "A-Alright. On my way, Doctor." I hung up the phone and awaited my teleport. After a few minutes, I began to glow pink. It felt weird, as if I was being numbed. All of a sudden, I was back in Arceus' room.

The group of Pokémon stared at me upon my arrival. I looked at them, saying nothing, then bursted out of the room, running for the synthetic chamber. Many of my team were by the machine, while others barricaded the doors. The assault on our building was fierce and, frankly, illegal, but the sorry excuse for law enforcement never gave a damn about me. I ran over to the chamber and gave Veronica, who was standing by the activation lever, her cue. She flicked it, and the machines answered with their hums. The light came soon after and a pink Pokémon took its place once it faded. The feline-like creature stood as it slowly opened his eyes to us.

I ran inside the chamber and debriefed the Pokémon. "Hello, I am Richard. You might have questions but I can explain later. Right now I need your help. People are trying to break in and I need you to use your psychic powers to create a forcefield around the facility."

He glared at me in response to my sudden command. _"Human, why should I help you?"_ He asked.

I thought for a moment and came back with, "Because I have your sister." It sounded like a threat.

Mewtwo's eyes glowed with rage. _"_ You _are the one who took her?!"_

I shuddered and said, "No, I created her!"

 _"You think you create Pokémon?! All you do is destroy our world every time you capture one of our Gods,"_ he retorted in a fit of rage.

I was shocked. I had no idea that I was taking them from another universe, I thought that I was just copying them. "Mewtwo, I… I am so sorry. I didn't know."

 _"Don't say you are sorry to me! Say sorry to the Pokémon who lost their God! Say sorry to the sick and dying Pokémon who cannot live without my sister! Say that to the Pokémon who now live in eternal night, as Dialga's absence has frozen all sense of time! The outer reaches of our universe are imploding in on itself! Palkia is no longer there to keep the universe expanding and Giratina is no longer able to keep matter and antimatter in a balance! Our world is being destroyed, you sorry piece of shit!"_ I didn't know what to say. _"Oh, and let me guess. You have no clue how to send us back!"_ I Stared at him, and then hung my head. He knew that I didn't have the slightest clue how to get them back to their universe. _"You are lucky that I have the intelligence of 50,000 Pokémon professors. I am taking control of your team. Don't even try and resist this."_

I gave no fight to Mewtwo as he stepped out of the chamber. _"Humans, listen to me. This Richard here is no longer your boss. I am. Any objections? Good."_

I had realized how right the protestors were. Their signs read of messages like 'hunter always becomes hunted' and 'all creations disobey their creators.' We had just created a monster. The most powerful being in our universe. We were under his command.

He began to dismantle our machinery in front of our eyes. Our hard work, _my_ hard work, began to crumble to our feet. Once he had dismantled everything but the chamber, he came to me with a list of demands.

 _"Now, human. Fetch me a nuclear fission chamber, and not one of those puny uranium ones. I need one that can divide all particles. Also, I need an ultra-powered particle suction machine. Do you idiot human beings even have those yet?"_

I shook my head, but added, "But I can make one."

 _"Get to it. Now."_

I hastily got to work constructing a machine powerful enough to suck particles out of a body.

His plan was insane. So insane, that I thought it might work. He was going to reverse the entire process. He would turn the particle collider, which led to the synthetic chamber, into a nuclear reactor. He would turn the elemental deposits into suction chambers. All of this would, in theory, effectively transform the synthetic chamber into a decompetic chamber. We were trying to undo all of my wrongs.

Mew came out of Arceus' room and entered my office, where I was trying to formulate blueprints for the new machine.

 _"Richard, what is going on?"_

I looked at her with a sense of guilt, "Your brother is here."

 _"What?! Where?"_

"Outside in the hall, he will explain everything to you, I just hope that you understand that I am sorry for what happened."

She looked at me with no confusion on her face, and floated out of my office straight towards where Mewtwo was. It was as if she had already known.

All day and all night, the protesters were outside, demanding entry. All day and all night, we worked tirelessly get the machine up and running. That night, I wished John was there. He would have known how to quickly draw up and construct a machine of that calibre. Nevertheless, I got it done and presented the plans to Mewtwo. When I approached him after hours of work, his determination and anger had turned into sadness and darkness. He accepted the plan and I got to work by his side. My curiosity for his mood grew larger by the second, but I never asked him.

He sighed and said, _"Listen, it takes intelligence to foresee the consequences of your actions. It takes true genius to foresee the actions to your consequences. Neither of which you've done. Your foresight has faltered, Richard. Being smart will only take you so far."_

I understood what he was saying entirely in that moment. I could have all the degrees in the world, but they amount to nothing if I can't use them to have a positive impact. If I can't see that what I am doing is wrong, what good am I?

By the time it was one o'clock in the morning, our work was complete. Our tanks were empty of elements, our machines all revved with power, and we were ready to go. We stood at the decompetic chamber. Mew, Arceus, Palkia, Dialga, and Giratina all faced the Mewtwo.

Mewtwo said, _"Alright. Now that you humans have helped me construct this machine, I need to use it. I do not know what it will do. So, Mew, my sister. If I die here, I want you to know that I love you and I love all Pokémon. I am doing this for them."_ Mewtwo stepped into the chamber as Mew began to become worried.

She pleaded, _"Brother, please! I'll test it! I don't want to lose you! Please!"_

But the Mewtwo had his mind made up, _"No, Mew! I need to do this myself. It is my creation. This is my time to shine! I am sick and tired of being a non-important legendary while my sister is the mother of all Pokémon!"_

He revealed a piece of paper and dropped it outside the chamber. I didn't have the slightest clue as to what it said. I went and picked up the folded letter and stared back into the chamber to see Mewtwo crying.

I began to feel concerned, then he barked one last order to me, _"Human, pull the lever now! Goodbye, Mew."_

I pulled the lever and Mewtwo began to dematerialize.

Mew cried out, _"No! Brother! Why!"_

Her brother disappeared and the machine stopped suddenly. I figured it was done and opened the letter. It was handwritten from Mewtwo, mainly addressed to Mew. I read it aloud and its words fell upon the ears of my team and the Pokémon I had 'created,' who all listened intently.

 _My dearest sister,_

 _When I came to this universe, I knew that I would never return to our old one. It's not possible, sister, it was a lie. I learned the truth of my lie as I constructed this contraption. Mew, continue my legacy. Have a legacy. My life ends here. It has been snatched by these humans. It has been snatched by this universe. I pray you, Mew, don't let my death be in vain._

 _This machine does not do what I told you it does. It does more than you can comprehend. It is not a universe transporter, it is a universe overlapper. If the humans destroyed our world, we have every right to take theirs. I am now the embodiment of the opposition to this world. My energy will bring upon a world within a world. Pokémon will merge with this world. My body has opened the floodgates, sister. My energy will bring upon a new era for your creations. I want you and Arceus to rule this new world and bring just action to our oppressors. Start over, sister. Start over._

 _I am Rebellion, make way for Opposition, cower at the Overhaul._

 _Rebellion births Rebellion._

 _My sister, it begins with you._


	6. VI: Something

**VI: Something**

The ground beneath our feet began to shake and the machines started back up again, as if they were possessed. I could see the chamber surging with power as a small vortex began to form inside. Thankfully, my judgement was quick.

I yelled, "Everyone get to the basement, now!"

I ran next to the chamber, took ahold of the railing, and hastily descended the stairwell. Once I reached the bottom, I was greeted by the Pokémon that I had stolen from their world. Palkia had already teleported them. My team followed behind me single-file as I booked it for the far corner of the concrete bunker-of-a-basement. The energy storage cells that were kept in the basement began to rattle viciously. They were over-surging. One storage cell after another exploded in our faces, creating a low booming sound, sending shrapnel everywhere. Thankfully, we were all too far away for the machines' metal to reach us. We felt a draft of wind begin to form, despite the fact that we were in the basement. I could only imagine the gusts that the vortex created on the surface. After a minute of hard gusts of wind, a seismic boom, one that rivals a hydrogen bomb shockwave, erupted out of the vortex upstairs.

The whitest light filled our eyes. (It is hard to describe this white as it was something that no human had ever experienced before. _The white was so white that it was black._ The pure light had a pure darkness to it. It was then that I discovered that colors loop in our minds. We were experiencing whiteness turn to darkness while it still being white. I call it the _Principle of Nothing_.

(If one describes nothing, a blackness comes to mind. But black is something. Then, one is told to imagine nothing as a whiteness. But white is something. Then they are told once again to describe nothing. One could respond with, 'Well nothing is complete darkness… but it is also a complete white-out.' Upon experiencing this nothing, you feel nothing. Time stops, your heart and mind stop. Everything stops. It is as if zero kelvin occurred. Absolute Zero.

(It was impossible for the human mind to truly interpret nothing. But on that day, every human alive experienced it. But if experiences are something, how can you experience nothing? How does nothing have a start and an end if change and continuity describe _something_. It all became clear. Nothing _is_ something. There was no such thing as the nothing that we all describe. Nothing is a minimal amount of something, while never being able to reach an absolute. If _nothing_ existed, then I would not be able to comprehend there not being a nothing.)

The light began to fade from view, returning me to the basement, accompanied by my fellow researchers and the Pokémon. I was awe-stricken by my experience. The ground had halted its tremors and everything seemed to normalize itself in the basement. We had lost all power, leaving us blind in the darkness. Nothing was clear at that moment to any us. Confusion and fear drowned our minds.

"Is everyone alright?" I yelled, hoping no one died from the vortex's surge.

Someone yelled back, "I'm fine, but I think I just saw all of existence flash before my eyes."

(That was it! It wasn't just something, it was _everything_! Everything packed so densely into a singularity would equal virtually nothing! My mind danced with the joy of having proven the nonexistence of nothing.)

I began to walk to the stairs at the opposite end of the basement shuffling my feet the entire way, careful not to step on the metal shrapnel on my way out. I began to ascend, slowly. I could see the faint moonlight as I looked up the stairwell, which concerned me, as there should have been a laboratory at the top. I began to feel panicky, as everything in my life seemed to dwindle to nothing in such a short amount of time. With every step, it became clear that nothing was the same. Something had happened during our stay in the basement; something big. At the last few steps, I began to hear a chorus of faint cries. They all sounded familiar to me, as if I had come to know them all by heart. My head poked above the stairwell and into the open world above. So many things were wrong.

I saw various creatures of different sizes, shapes, and colors. The land turned into a sea of these creatures. One after another, my team and the Pokémon reached the top of the stairs and gazed at our surroundings in shock. I slowly began to piece the events together, and so were many of my colleges. All of the Pokémon with us understood what happened as well. Mew floated outwards to the large group of creatures, happily addressing and welcoming them all. The machines, the letter, the vortex, the earthquake, the flash of light that turned to 'nothing.' It all made perfect sense.

Mewtwo, knowing that there was no possible way to restore his world after I had destroyed it, tricked us into making machines unlike any ever created. They merged universes into one universe. The vortex was the gateway between universes, only accepting living things with similar genetic makeup to the genetic Pokémon Mewtwo. Mewtwo had sacrificed himself as the whitelisting material for the vortex. It was truly genius. He allowed for Pokémon to join this world entirely.

I got past the fact that thousands-upon-thousands of Pokémon surrounded me in every direction and focused my mind on the way things used to be in Southern California. It was bright, fun, vibrant, and full of life. Then, I looked around and took in the fact that the vortex had decimated everything. No buildings stood tall, no trees were flowing in the breeze, no one was talking or protesting. There was nothing. The vortex had the explosive surface power of a hydrogen bomb, by the looks of the damage. I then thought of the people. The poor, unsuspecting people. I knew immediately that we were the sole survivors for miles. It was all thanks to our insanely thick concrete-reinforced basement.

All hope of a better world was lost to me in that moment. Nothing could save us. But still, I was determined to create something in my mind out of nothingness that surrounded us. Some unseen force within me wanted me to persevere and move forward. Simultaneously, through both guilt and pride, I had the feeling of wanting desperately to die and wanting desperately to live. My guilt of destroying Southern California swallowed me whole, but still the sight of all the Pokémon made me rejoice. After all, I had accomplished my goal of bringing Pokémon to the Earth. I just did it in the worst way possible.

I let out a deep sigh and turned to my dumbfounded colleges. "Um. Yeah, this doesn't look good. We need to find civilization as soon as possible. If we don't soon, we will all die from dehydration. So let's get moving."

Arceus, Palkia, Dialga, and Giratina, all turned to face me. Mew, however, refused to look at me and instead focused her attention on the newcomers.

Arceus telepathically said, _'Richard, we are going to stay here with our kind. They need the gods to guide them. I hope we will meet again.'_

I was taken aback, but nodded at Arceus nevertheless in understanding. I faced back towards my researchers and said, "Alright, team! Let's go!"

I began to walk due north, traversing through the sea of Pokémon that for the most part gave us no attention. I had irrationally memorized the cardinal directions as related to my laboratory. Although it had been obliterated, the foundation was still evident, cluing me in on my direction. I knew I wanted to go up north but beyond that, I had no idea. After walking for a few steps, I glanced behind my shoulder. I found my team, unmoved, staring at the floor that once was our lab.

"Guys? Veronica? You coming?" I asked.

Veronica looked up and stared into my eyes, "I can't shake the guilt. It wouldn't feel right running from our mistakes." The rest nodded in agreeance with Veronica, keeping their blank stares glued to the foundation.

I weighed the options. I realized that she was willingly killing herself, along with everyone else. Either I stay and reduce myself to nothing, or I could be a coward and run from my mistakes, receiving the chance to become something again. To live again.

Seeing as I am writing this now, I obviously chose to be a coward. Sometimes, I regret not having submitted my life to fate, but at the same time, you, the reader, would never learn from my life if I had killed myself.

Something. I chose something. But it felt like nothing. Like no matter what I did, I would not add up to anything. The willingness to live just felt like suicide. This story is my last hope at _being_ something.

With that, I left everything I knew and began my voyage north, praying to God that… no, praying to Arceus that the blast radius was not detrimental worldwide.


	7. VII: Desolate and Distraught

**VII: Desolate and Distraught**

My long, monotonous trek contained nothing but flatness. Everything that California had to offer had been annihilated by the shockwave given by the vortex. I eventually made it past the large group of Pokémon; all of which originated from the seven generations. I passed many legendaries on my way north, namely Zapdos, Entei, Celebi, and Reshiram. I also noticed a Lucario standing a sizable distance away from me to my left, with an unreadable countenance. It seemed to be staring down at the grass, completely motionless. Lucario was my favorite Pokémon, but I couldn't have cared less about any of them at the time. I was responsible for the deaths of thousands, probably even millions of people, along with the suicides of my entire team. And the death of my wife. I began to cry. It was too much to handle. There were so many deaths connected to my name.

In a short time my relentlessly active brain began shouting at me. I began to think to myself, 'I need to stop crying! I need to conserve water!' I slowly regained control and sped up my walking pace, eager to see someone alive. The moon shone bright, which illuminated the dirt beneath my feet. I looked to my right and was able to see a faint silhouette of the mountains. 'Good, at least the mountains survived the blast.'

After I was a good distance away from the noisy Pokémon, I began to hear nothing but the sound of my footsteps and my breathing. It was eerie to think that I was the only living thing out this far from the blast's epicenter. Occasionally, I would stumble upon foundations similar to the old lab's as well as many pits that were once basements to buildings. I tried my best to avoid falling into those, as I had come close to falling into a few. After a while, my feet began to feel heavy. If I had to guess, I had been walking for hours. The sun barely peeked over the horizon as I dragged my feet onwards. The only thing guiding me due north were the tiny outlines of mountains to my right.

I did not know if I would ever see a living thing again. With every step, the possibility dwindled. I took step after step on the slightly rolling ground, desperately hoping to see _something_. Just _one thing_. The sun began to rise, sending a faint orange gleam throughout the sky. At least time and space were still working (thanks, Palkia and Dialga.) I realized by that point that I had been awake for an entire day. I should have just stopped everything right then and there. It seemed like months had gone by. So many things happened, so many things went wrong. I was so tired. My eyes began to flutter, closing ever-so slightly as I fought to stay awake and moving. Eventually, I came upon another hole that was a basement, which also had steps leading down. I couldn't fight sleep any longer, I knew that well. I descended the stairs, laid down on the concrete floor, and passed out.

I woke up with a dry mouth. My mouth was so arid that I was so afraid that if I opened my mouth, it would crack and shatter like glass. I knew that I would need to find water, fast. I wished that the vortex hadn't vaporized everything in the shockwave. I then thought of all the Pokémon and my researchers, back at ground zero. I hoped that they were still alive. I got up and stretched. The concrete was not exactly the best bed in the world. I yawned deeply, which only hurt my dry throat. I stood up, slowly, as my body was feeling the effects of my long trek the night before. I ascended the stairs and kept heading north.

As my monotonous walk dragged on, I began to wonder if the vortex had vaporized the entire Earth. I seemed to walk for ages. My feet eventually became numb and they just moved me naturally. It hurt so bad to even move that I couldn't stop, or else I would only experience more pain than if I kept going. I was hungry, sweating in the heat, and most of all, thirsty as hell.

My dry throat began to throb, desperately wanting water. I believed firmly at that moment that I would not live. Then, as if Arceus himself had saved me, the barren wasteland gave way to shrapnel. It was something. It refueled my hope. I gained speed, walking through the crumbled stones, split planks, and other debris. Further on through my jog, something made me stop in my tracks. My legs burned, but I just had to stop. Piles of flesh began to appear everywhere around me. They were unidentifiable, but I knew most of them were human. It chilled and saddened me. I truly was a mass-murderer.

I stared at one pile in particular. I could barely make out the faint form of a little girl in the bloody pile of flesh and bones. Her hair was strewn about the pile and what I thought was a torn-up teddy bear laid atop the pile. With what little water I had left, I cried. I cried for the poor people who had no clue that they would never wake up the next morning. I tried to run, run far north, out of this mess. Instead, I just stumbled around. Hours later, the debris started to look more intact, but the bodies looked more dead than ever. I was nearing the outer radius of the blast. By then, everything felt numb on my body. Even my mind was static.

By the early evening, I was out of the severe blast radius and came upon Burbank. I was so relieved when I saw _living_ people again. I strolled into town and everyone was busy trying to fix broken buildings and machines. They were lucky that the blast's effects stopped right at their town. Mostly, people ignored me, being preoccupied and all. Some I walked by mentioned something about the number 100,000. Others talked about the blast and how big it was. I eventually found what I needed. The hospital. I shuffled through the doors and was met by a huge group of injured people waiting to be treated. The power was out in the city and I was certain that it wouldn't return for a good while. I knew that I wasn't going to get any help there. I left immediately after and walked to the first house I saw. It was a brick apartment complex, with minimal damage done to it.

I walked in and shuffled up to the desk. My voice was faint and crackly as I whispered to the man behind it, "Sir, I've been walking for two days without water. Please help."

He looked at me in astonishment, but was hesitant. I figured they were having a water crisis. He stared at my eyes and his expression visually changed from sceptical to surprised. "You-You are Mr. Pokémon!"

I looked down in shame, "Mhm."

Just the sound I made in response irritated my throat. He handed me a water bottle. I smiled happily and reached over the counter and hugged him. I cracked open the water bottle and chugged it.

Once I had downed the entire water bottle, I said, "I can't thank you enough. What is your name?"

He replied with, "Daniel. Th' name's Daniel."

I shook his hand. "Daniel, I hate to be such a nuisance at a time like this, but could I ask for a room? I need to rest so bad."

He said, "We are all out of rooms… but you may stay in my room if you'd like."

My eyes glistened. "Really?! Oh my goodness! Thank you so much!"

"Follow me."

I trailed Daniel down the hall and we passed a few doors until we got to the end of the hall. Daniel pulled out a key and then inserted it into the keyhole. He turned it and opened the door. It was at this moment that I realized that I had my lab coat on the entire time.

As I entered the room, I chuckled and said, "I guess it wasn't too hard to ID me when I have my lab coat on, huh?"

He laughed in response, "Actually, I am a big fan! I have loved Pokémon since I was a child and when I heard your speech at your house, I was filled with a warm, excited feeling. That is, until your wife…" He paused as I lowered my head. "I am so sorry, I didn't mean to mention it. Just act like I hadn't. Anyway, please make yourself at home."

I nodded in understanding. He hastily left me in the room and closed the door behind him, clearly beyond embarrassed to have mentioned my wife.

I shook off what he had said and took off my coat. My clothes were drenched in sweat from the summer's heat. I then remembered that there was no running water to take a shower with. I sighed, then collapsed on a couch positioned in front of a TV and fell asleep.

When I woke up, Daniel was placing a bowl of cereal by the couch.

"Good morning," I groggily groaned. He chuckled, and I looked outside. The sun was setting.

"It's about nine o'clock at night, Mr. Pokémon."

"Please, call me Richard. Now, I have a question," I replied.

"What is your question, _Richard_?" He said my name as if it was unnatural.

"Everyone I have passed has been talking about the blast and something about the number 100,000. What are they saying?" I nervously asked, almost knowing the answer before he said it.

He sighed, "Well, some scientists were saying something about a 100,000 kiloton bomb detonating in L.A. a few days ago. That was broadcasted shortly before our power shut off. We felt the shockwave here, but it wasn't big." I took in the sheer magnitude of the blast. 100,000 kilotons of explosive power. Then he said, "Oh my goodness! You were there! What happened?!"

My mind was filled with thoughts of the blast. I could vividly imagine a slow-motion picture of what it would have been like to face the blast head-on. I thought once again of the little girl. I imagined her sleeping on a little bed in her cute little room. She looked sound asleep, hugging her teddy bear tight. All of a sudden a burst of force tore her room to shreds, and her tiny body soon after. She didn't even know what hit her before her body was decimated. After the blast, all that was left was a little pile of blood and bones lying on the ground, along with little golden locks of hair and fuzz from a teddy bear. It reminded me of an event that happened so long ago. I remembered reading about it at school. The atomic bombings of the two Japanese cities by the United States. I stared at the floor, I did not want to tell him the terrible things that I did, but I knew that it needed to be said.

I sighed deeply, closed my eyes, and then unleashed a bombshell on him, "I did it, Daniel. I didn't mean to, but I caused the blast. I opened up a vortex and released every living Pokémon from their universe into our world. The shockwave obliterated everything on the surface, but I survived because I made it to the basement. I'm a murderer, Daniel." My head rested in my hands as I wept uncontrollably. He gasped from the sudden and blatant news that his 'hero' murdered millions of innocent people, but hesitantly placed his hand onto my shoulder.

Before he could say anything, gunshots were heard outside the room. We looked up in surprise. I tried my best to stop crying as I got off of the couch and bursted out of the apartment, with Daniel trailing. We walked outside to see many citizens with guns, opening fire in the air while some shot down the street. I glared down the street in confusion and curiosity. What I saw was sickening. A group of Pokémon, led by Yveltal, was invading the city. The bullets were obviously doing very little against them, as they charged down the street with ease.

Yveltal, along with a plethora of other Pokémon, responded to the gunfire with attacks. I watched in fear as a Serperior launched a Wrap at a woman. Leafy appendages manifested and wrapped around the woman, effectively snapping her bones. A Xatu swooped down from the sky and used Air Slash on a man who was shooting right at the Mystic Pokémon. Like a knife through butter, the man's body was sliced in two from the chest up. He was left to quickly bleed out. Yveltal's attack trumped them all. He sent a Hurricane move barrelling down the street, clearing everything in its path. I managed to duck back inside before the winds would sweep me away and was fortunate enough to avoid it. Daniel and I looked at each other in surprise, then I had a flashback to the day before:

 _"If the humans destroyed our world, we have every right to take theirs. I am Rebellion, make way for Opposition, cower at the Overhaul."_

Pokémon were respecting Mewtwo's wishes. They were taking over the world. I scrambled back for the hall to hide in the apartment and Daniel followed. We heard the screams of dying people outside and the cries of the Pokémon as they slaughtered people. As I sprinted back to the room, a Greninja appeared at a window and smashed through it, blocking our way to 'safety.' This frog was not what you would call friendly. It's face had pure evil seeping from it. Despite having a thin and sleek body, its presence seemed more imposing than a tall brick wall. It launched Water Shurikens straight for us. I dropped to the floor with quick reaction time, but Daniel was not so quick to react. The shurikens passed over me and sliced his throat. I watched in horror as his bleeding body toppled to the floor right next to me. He bled out as I watched him choke and gag on his own blood.

I stared at the Greninja in total fear. "Please! Don't kill me!"

He smirked and grabbed me from the floor. His forcefulness and strength were impressive, given his size. I tensed up, even though I was dangling like a puppet. I swore that I was about to be executed. But I never died, I was just taken as some sort of prisoner.

It's ironic, I assumed that ninjas took no prisoners.

The next few days were a haze. I vaguely remember being carried to somewhere near the East Coast. The army of Pokémon had taken me hostage. I specifically remember thinking that they had to know who I was, or else they would have murdered me on the spot. I got very little water on the way, but it was no matter, I wanted to die anyway. Once, I refused to drink and they forced it down my throat. They wanted me alive, and I didn't know why.

We moved at a rather fast pace, all of the Pokémon in the miniature squadron that had taken me hostage were very quick, so we arrived in a bustling city on the opposite side of the country after a couple of days. The city wasn't particularly full of people, though. It was full of Pokémon. I began to recognize many landmarks as we went through the city, and then we came upon an undeniably familiar structure. It was a marble-looking mansion with a reasonably high fence surrounding it. It's lawn was pristine and lusciously green. Many Pokémon were guarding the building, as if it held some sort of importance. The leader of the squadron, Yveltal, took ahold of me in a tight grip and brought me through the doors. He took me through winding hallways to an office. In the office, a pink Pokémon was perched on a chair behind a desk. The symbolism was all too real for me, and I think that she knew about how symbolic her being there was. She grinned at my arrival.

 _"Ah, Richard. So glad to see you again. You know, I've been thinking about that note from my brother. I am glad to say that I respected his wishes to the fullest. So, without further adieu, I welcome you to the White House._ My _White House."_


	8. VIII: Slavery

**VIII: Slavery**

I stared at Mew. I couldn't believe it.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked her in a pleading tone.

 _"Are you stupid? Do you realize how much pain and suffering you have brought upon my people?"_

I looked at her with disgust, I knew that I deserved torture, but not innocent people around the world! She proceeded to tell me her story about how when she was forced into this world and Arceus told her how she was created by me, she lost all faith in humankind and this universe. This account that she babbled to me as she sat in the Oval Office was a tale that I have mentioned in this story before (II: The Creators.)

She then said, _"I only got two things wrong that day. One, I thought that Arceus was a fake Arceus, and two, I let you live. Letting you live caused my brother to die!"_ I couldn't help but feel bad. Everything she was saying was true. Before I could respond with anything, she added, _"Oh, and Arceus would like to speak with you as well."_

On cue, Arceus' voice filled my head. _'Richard, I thought you were my master, and I'll tell you why. When my body was transported to this universe, I began to feel as if my past universe was simply a dream. I came to accept that this was the real universe and that I was not the true creator of the universe. Seeing how you made me appear, I assumed that you were. I assumed that you had made me a god in my dream to teach me how to become one in this world. Mew made me realize that it wasn't all some strange dream and that I am the real God. I was wrong.'_

I knew that all too well. I sighed, having a true sense of defeat. In my mind, I tried to pinpoint where it all went wrong.

Mew snapped my mind out of my trance when she said, _"Now, that brings me to why you are here. In the honor of my brother, all Pokémon will now be the rulers of humans. The remaining living humans, That is. They will be assigned to groupings of Pokémon, with a kind of Pokémon at the head of every group that can understand and translate your primitive language. Think of the groups as families. Of course, you aren't a part of the family, just the servant."_ She chuckled maniacally at herself. _"So, Richard, you are hereby assigned to group 34A-001. At the head of this group is a Lucario. Don't worry, her work won't kill you, it'll just make you very,_ very _, tired."_ I was furious at that point, on the verge of hurdling myself at her. _"Oh, your precious president is now rotting in the room next to us, by the way. Also, leaders around the world have either been executed or have forfeited power to us, so don't even try to create a rebellion. We've got this planet on lockdown."_

And with that, Yveltal picked me up again and flew me to my new 'home.' Yveltal flew precisely West, as I could tell by the fading sun attempting to hide itself in front of us. Yveltal's firm grasp on me caused some pain, as his claws gave no mind to my skin. His grip was that of a hawk who had just scored his prey. I knew that I was not getting out of his grasp. I was already as good as dead.

Yveltal flew high in the air, where the air was thinner, which made my head throb and caused me to gasp for air. I tried to tell him that we were too high up, but Yveltal ignored my pleas. With the combination of the pain of his claws, the rush of the wind as we soared through the sky, the thin air taking the oxygen from me, and my pure lack of wanting to live, My eyes fluttered shut and my mind faded to darkness.

I tried to peek my eyes open, but my head was hurting too badly. I slightly raised one eyelid and took in my surroundings. I was laying in a patch of grass— a meadow of some sort. The stars were shining in the sky. It was beautiful. I then noticed movement down towards my stomach and out of reaction, I tried to prop myself up to see what it was, but I froze and began to ache in pain, sinking back down to a supine state.

 _"Please, sir, stop moving,"_ a female voice said to me.

The voice was smooth and calming. I managed catch a glimpse of the side of the woman's head. It was blue with something black jutting out of it, actually, there were two black things jutting out of it.

"Who are you?" I muttered, barely able to coherently communicate.

The voice responded with, _"I am a Lucario. The apparent leader of group 34A-001."_

I flinched at the mention of the group that I would be working for. She apparently noticed and told me, " _Please, don't worry."_ How could I not worry? The whole world was falling apart!

To my surprise, the Lucario gently placed her paw on my chest and held it there. I felt the softness in her touch. It was caring. Out of nowhere, a blue light illuminated my surroundings, it enveloped the Lucario, or at least the half of her head that I could see, and I began to feel strange. The blue energy shot into my chest and spread throughout my body. It felt tingly, like it was a cold liquid being poured down my body. The feeling seemed to flow through my veins, and when it reached my brain, I momentarily slipped into unconsciousness, as I began to feel the sensation of being renewed. It was like giving a computer a reboot.

The tingling stopped all at once, and I shot my eyes open. The Lucario took her hand off of my chest, stood up, and backed away. She was panting from exhaustion, but my pain had vanished. I propped myself up to stare at the Lucario. She seemed rather tall for a Lucario, at least that's what a Pokédex would claim, about five and a half feet tall. Her eyes weren't exactly crimson, they were more of a ruby color and they shown extraordinarily in the moonlight. The spikes on her hands weren't very large, and neither was her chest spike. She stared down at me, with some unreadable emotion strewn across her face. Her eyes then closed, as she seemed to be concentrating, and I just sat there in confusion. When she opened them, they had a tint of blue in her scleras, but the blue didn't mask her ruby irises in the slightest. She never broke her glare at me and I just sat there on the ground with no clue as to what was going on.

Finally, her eyes were drained of blue and she said, _"That dumb Yveltal messed you up bad, huh?"_

I was taken off guard by her sudden friendly tone. "Uh, yeah, he did. Why are you being so nice to me?"

She sighed and replied with, _"Unfortunately, I cannot tell you. Mew would not be pleased if she caught me making friendly conversation with a human. Get up and follow me please."_ I did as I was told.

When I stood up from the grass, I discovered that I had been naked. My face turned crimson and I tried to conceal myself. I called to her, "Uh, Lucario? Could I, uh, you know… Have my clothes back?"

She glanced back, with a slight smirk on her snout and said, _"There will be an outfit waiting for you at the farm."_ And she turned back around.

I felt violated for some odd reason. I could not remember how, when, or for what reason my clothes were missing. My mind started to play through countless scenarios, some more… erotic… than others. After awhile, I decided not to worry about it and just focused on keeping up with the mysterious Lucario walking ahead of me. Her tail was not slim like most Lucario's', her tail was fluffy, as if it was like that on purpose. The whole trek back, I was focused on her tail, how it slightly moved from side to side as she walked. It swayed rhythmically, not unlike a pendulum. It was entrancing.

She chuckled and called back, _"Enjoying the view?"_ I was flushed with embarrassment and I immediately turned my attention to the ground at my feet. I had so many questions for her. Why did she look different? Why are my clothes missing? Where am I? Why can I not stop staring? As my mind wandered, I found my gaze back onto her tail. 'What in the world is happening?' I thought.

We eventually made it to a road, which we followed for a while. Trying to distract myself from the mysterious Lucario, I read the signs as we passed them. They all seemed so familiar to me. I was determined to figure out where we were.

My mind flashed back to before my experiments; my childhood. Or what I had of one. My mother passed away when I was four years old and my father died from an injury given to him in a car accident when I was eleven. I lived with my aunt, who lived alone and had no children. She was nice enough. I mean, she adopted me. I would frequently run around the house until she said I was too old for it. So, I took my running outside. I would jog up and down the sides of the roads everyday. Running was a passion of mine; Ohio had the perfect weather to run in during the late spring and early fall. On one side of me, I would see cars zooming past, and I would see a few trees and a meadow that lead up to our house on the other. The grass and the trees would flow slightly in the breeze, making it appear like a lush green wave. I would never forget those days, where all that mattered was running and playing video games. I missed it.

I turned my attention back towards the present time, to discover similarities to my surroundings. I called out to the Lucario, "Are we in Ohio?"

She nodded ahead of me. _"How did you know that?"_

I smiled faintly, as I felt at home. "I grew up here as a kid," I said in response. A breeze began to blow, hitting my bare skin and causing me to shiver. "Uh, how much longer do we have to walk? The wind is making me kind of cold."

She snickered in response. _"You narrowly survived being hundreds of feet up in the air, with talons digging into your skin, and you are complaining about being cold?!"_

I laughed awkwardly, she was right. Not only that, but I owed my life to her. "By the way, what did you do to me? I don't feel the pain anymore," I said.

She looked back at me, apparently forgetting that my body was exposed and she jerked her head back ahead of her, trying not to make me uncomfortable. _"I will explain anything you ask me when we get back to camp."_

I was so confused. The only things that I knew for certain was that I was in Ohio and that I was alive.

The walk bled into the early morning as we arrived at a large farm. It held a quaint light blue house. The Lucario led me up the driveway and through the door. The interior was slightly cramped, as it was nowhere near what you would call an open floor plan. The tiny hallway gave way to a small little kitchen. She entered, and I followed. She motioned to a mahogany chair at a matching table and I gladly took it, as I had been walking quite a lot in the past few days. She went to a cupboard and took out a tiny water bottle and set it at the table in front of me. I took it in my hands, cracked open the lid, and drank it furiously. The entire time, the Lucario just stared at me. Once I finished my gulp, I lowered the water bottle and looked into her eyes, waiting for the next thing she would do. All I saw was a faint blush, which happened to pair well with her eyes.

She looked away and said, _"There are socks, boots, underwear and a pair of pants upstairs in the bedroom to your left. Sorry, there's no shirt."_

I smiled at the embarrassed Lucario, got up from the chair and approached the stairs, leaving her to her thoughts in the kitchen. I walked up the stairs, which were rather old and rickety. I reached the top and took my first left, entering a bedroom. I approached the bed, which had my new clothes lying on it. I grabbed the underwear and slipped them on. They strangely fit. I moved on to the socks. Then after that, the cargo pants, which were slightly worn out and dirty. I put on the dark brown worker boots and approached the full-body mirror at one end of the room. I stared at the new me in the mirror. Everything fit oddly well.

My gaze wandered from my clothes to my bare skin. Irrationally, I thanked myself for working out, because otherwise, I knew I would've had a less than favorable chest. But why was I thanking myself for such a thing? It wasn't like it mattered what I looked like anymore, because my life didn't really matter. The love of my life has come and gone.

I backed away from the mirror and exited the room. I went back down the stairs and returned to the kitchen. The Lucario straightened herself and faced me, her eyes glued on my chest. Once again, she blushed and shot her eyes away.

I silently chuckled and said, "So, may I ask some questions now or is there something else that I need to do?"

Flustered, she muttered, _"Well, I uh… I need to show you your job."_

I followed her out of the house through the backdoor. I found a vast landscape of plants. They were mostly green, but had tinges of dark blue dotted around them.

 _"As you can tell, you will be working in the blueberry fields. You need to only pick the ones that are large and ripe. Any that have imperfections need to be thrown away. 'We only make the best here,'"_ She said as she motioned towards the fields, giving sarcastic air-quotes to her final words.

It was interesting to me. She was talking about the field as if she had been there and owned it her whole life. It made me kind of mad.

"Where are the people that used to live here?"

Her ears drooped, as she could sense my disapproval of the situation. _"They are out there in the fields working. Look, I know this may seem messed up. I'll explain, trust me. Your report time back in the house is nine o'clock this morning. Don't worry about the time, I will telepathically send you a reminder when it's nine."_ She handed me a basket and left me to work.

I worked hard, for no reason in particular, but my mind was not fully on the blueberries. I could not stop thinking about the Lucario. She would not stop looking at me. I thought about whether she was attracted to me or not. All signs pointed to yes. I didn't know how to feel. A Pokémon loving a human? It made no sense. And anyway, I could never betray my wife. The feeling wasn't mutual. I shook the thoughts from my head and went back to work. It was hot out and I was sweating fairly hard at the laborious work. Picking blueberries might not seem like hard work, but once your basket exceeds twenty pounds or so and you have to stretch to get a far away berry, it becomes arduous work.

After a while, a voice materialized in my head and said in a soothing voice, _'Alright everyone! It's breakfast time!'_

I recognized it as the Lucario's voice and started to head back to the farmhouse. When I arrived, she was standing by the back door watching me. I gave her a faint smile and she gave me a smile back. It felt warm and kind, like she meant it.

I handed her the basket of berries, to which she replied with, _"Good work! You are a little sweaty, though. You are shining."_ Once again, she blushed. I ignored it and continued inside and to the table.

The dining room was set, complete with many chairs surrounding it. I took a seat at one of them and silently hoped that I had not taken someone else's seat. Slowly, many other people began to file into the room and took a seat. Each one seemed a little different from the other. In total, there were five other humans, which all took a seat by me. Strangely, they all had shirts. I couldn't understand that. Before I could dwell on it any further, a group of Pokémon filed in. The group contained a Cacturne, a Staravia, a Shinx, a Piplup, a Riolu, and lastly, the Lucario. They all took a seat as the Lucario served us meals.

 _"I apologize for the lack of quality everyone. I am new to this cooking thing and we only had cereal, so that's what's for breakfast."_

Somehow she was speaking English but the other Pokémon could still understand her. She was balancing multiple bowls on her arms, which she walked by everyone around the table. Everyone eagerly grabbed their meal and began to dig in. Some of the Pokémon sprinkled a few blueberries that I picked on top of their cereal. I felt slightly infuriated that my hard work was being taken advantage of at no cost.

No one seemed to give me any mind, even though I stuck out like a sore thumb with no shirt and being the new guy.

After the Lucario was done passing out our breakfast, she took her seat at the head of the oval table and said, _"Alright everyone, today, we have a new friend. His name is… Oh, I don't know what his name is."_

I swallowed the cereal that was in my mouth and said, "My name is Richard."

She smiled and continued, _"Richard will help pick the blueberries. Please make him feel at home."_

Everyone looked over at me with quizzical looks on their faces. I tried to ignore the attention, but I couldn't. I awkwardly kept eating. The Lucario sighed at the failure of an introduction and began eating as well.

I could tell that this was going to be interesting.


	9. IX: The Blue Aura

**IX: The Blue Aura**

That night, the Lucario took me into her room. It had been a long day and I was looking forward to our chat. I entered behind her and sat in a chair. She sat on her bed, facing me.

 _"So, I'm sure that you have a lot of questions for me, so ask away."_

I began to think about what I would ask her. There were so many questions whirling through in my head, but all I blurted out was, "What is your name?"

She smiled at me, as she realized that I was not interested in my current situation, but about her instead. _"My name is Katie."_

I liked that name, she looked quite like a Katie to me. "Well it's nice to meet you, Katie. I am sorry that it is under such circumstances. Which leads me to my next question: explain what the hell is going on, please," I said in a slightly suspicious tone. I kept flip-flopping between trust and distrust. I was unsure of this Lucario.

 _"Alright. This is going to be quite the long story, so get ready. When we all appeared in this world, Mew approached us and informed us of the injustices done to her and the other legendary Pokémon. She insisted, by using her Psychic, for us to follow her in world domination. Now, we Pokémon are very smart and many of us can learn things instantly. Mew addressed all of the Pokémon that could interpret English and she forced them all to learn our new world's history. While all of the other Pokémon were fighting in towns and cities, us 'interpreters' were hitting the books, trying to learn everything about humans, animals, and the world. Once we did, which only took me about half of a day, Mew assigned us to groups of pre-set Pokémon. This grouping tore families apart. It was revolting. But we couldn't do anything about it, after all, she is our Creator. So I was the assigned leader of this one. For the past day, I've been trying to get this place all organized to my liking. Then, I was informed by Mew through Telepathy that a new worker was being assigned to the group. She also informed me of where you were being dropped, so I met you and Yveltal there, in the meadow."_

Her explanation left me with more questions than answers. "Why are you enslaving people?" I asked, in an angry tone as it became hard to remain seated and calm.

Her ears drooped and she frowned. She whispered to me, _"I am not, it's Mew. If I had any say, we would all live in harmony. We could all find a way to coexist. But she has a personal vendetta against your kind, and I am not completely sure why."_

I knew why. It was me. I couldn't tell her that, so I continued on. "Do you know why I was assigned to this place, this job is so hard! Why can't I just not do it?" The question that came out of my mouth sounded whiney and childish, but I didn't withdraw.

 _"Trust me, this is one of the best places for your kind to be. There are many jobs that are far worse to be enslaved at,"_ she thought for a second, _"I would show you through a vision, but it would be too gruesome and disgusting."_

The mention of a vision got me thinking. "What was the blue light that shown on your body and in your eyes? It was mesmerizing." The last part slipped out, which was abnormal for me to do.

She blushed and replied with, _"Oh, that's my Aura. Do you know what Aura is?"_

I shook my head 'no.'

 _"Well, Aura is within every living thing. It is a core component of life. It is a wonderful energy that portrays mood and health. Although every living thing has an Aura, Lucario can manipulate it. That is what the blue light was and that is what healed you: my Aura."_

I thought back to my experiments as a young man. Stanley Miller and Harold Urey had been so close, they just missed one thing: Aura. But I solved it. What did I do to create Aura? I thought long and hard, and then something clicked. Magnets. "Katie, can you create Aura?"

She looked at me with a confused look. _"In a way, I can. It is like a battery, I have a certain amount of energy, but I eventually need to recharge. I recharge by meditation."_

I pushed further, "Can you show me how you meditate?" She sat on the floor and rested her hands on her knees, in a normal lotus position. Her eyes were closed, and she began to glow a faint blue. "Are there any body parts where Aura is most prevalent?" I was getting close to the answer.

She opened her eyes and the blue glow faded. She got up and said, _"In the hands, wrists, knees, thighs, neck, and head, but the strongest place Aura is is the heart."_

My eyes widened; my theory was correct. "Katie, you made me realize something. I can create Aura. I _have_ created Aura," I said.

She was in shock, _"How?!"_

"It's kind of simple, really. First, do you know what Aura is and what it's made of?"

She thought for a second, and then shook her head, eager to find out.

"Well, it's the energy from electromagnetic field interactions. When you place your hands near your knees, it creates, a super-charged magnetic field that actually creates energy, like a spinning generator would. What's special is that you absorb that energy. Normally, it would be given off to the atmosphere. That blue glow is the use of that energy."

She stared at me in pure astonishment. She said, _"How do you know? And when have you used Aura before?"_

Katie's ruby eyes were wide and her stare was piercing through my skull. It reminded me of something. "Do you remember me?" I asked her.

She replied with, _"As soon as I saw you, I thought that you looked familiar. But I'm not sure."_

I knew that it was her that I saw. "I was the scientist in a lab coat walking away from the explosion right after it happened."

 _"Oh! That was_ you _?! Wait. Wait a minute,"_ her eyes grew to a darker red, she was filled with rage, _"It was_ you _!_ You _did this to us!"_

I lowered my head and said, "I'm so sorry, Katie."

After a few seconds, she sighed and walked over to me. I prepared myself for a beating. She leaned down to about my height due to me being in the chair, and hugged me. Her chest spike dug into my shoulder, but I didn't care. After a short second of shock, I returned the hug. Her embrace was warm, and her fur tickled my bare chest. Once she let go, she looked into my eyes, while her arms rested on my shoulders. She had a slight blush on her maw.

She said, _"I don't know why, but I forgive you."_

She went over to her bed, and sat on the side of it, still facing me.

I saw something out of the corner of my eye sitting on the dresser on the wall of the room. It was a shirt.

I looked back over to Katie and asked, "Hey Katie, why don't I have a shirt?" Her eyes moved to my fairly muscular chest and a bright red blush filled her cheeks. I chuckled and said, "Wow, I thought no red could ever overpower the brightness of your eyes, but your cheeks just did."

She gave me an embarrassed smile and said, _"Richard, you can have a shirt if you want. I… I just… I like to see you shirtless."_

I smiled, as it was flattering to hear that after all my life, I still looked pretty good at 37.

"Katie, if you love it so much, I'll keep it off."

Her ears perked up and a huge smile was strewn across her maw. _"Phew, that was embarrassing."_ I laughed and she dismissed me from her bedroom and showed me to my bedroom.

We walked in silently. All of the human workers were in there, sleeping on bunk beds. She showed me to a corner bunk, and she motioned to the vacant top bunk. I nodded, and then jumped, getting ahold of the side of the railing and pushing myself over it and into the bed. My muscles must've been bulging, because Katie was blushing rather fiercely. I layed down and she left the room. My mind began to race. 'Could a Pokémon really love a human? Could a human really love a Pokémon? Wait, I don't love her. I can't love anymore. My wife was all I had. She was it.' I slowly began to drift off, letting much-needed sleep take me.

My eyes opened and I found myself in the meadow again. But it wasn't nighttime. It wasn't day either. The sky had a blue haze to it.

Katie's voice called out in my head, _'It's Aura.'_

I looked around, but found nothing there but the meadow surrounding me on all sides. I looked down. Yes, I was naked again.

I sighed and yelled, "Where are you?" She materialized before my eyes and walked towards me. I called to her, "Katie, why am I here?"

She replied with, _"This is my dream, I have invited you to it, using my Aura. Here, no one can hear us. I have important things to tell you."_ She was standing right in front of me now, and her body was glowing with a beautiful shade of blue. None of this felt like a dream at all. It was so real. She continued, _"First of all, I am no ordinary Lucario. I have trained my Aura abilities to be… different. I'm sorry Richard, I read your mind and learned your life story. This was totally out of line to do, but my curiosity got the better of me. I'm so sorry."_

I didn't care, being a kind of celebrity, I was used to living my life not having any secrets. I closed the gap between us and hugged her. Her chest spike didn't hurt too bad on my chest. Her fur was so soft. She returned the hug and pressed into me harder. Her fur was ticklish on my whole body. I then remembered that I was naked. I broke the hug quickly. We both had scarlet blushes infecting our faces. We couldn't look at each other in the eyes.

Through her embarrassment of being pressed against my naked body, she continued, _"I feel that it's only right that you know everything about my life. I was captured as a Riolu by my trainer, Samantha. She was not a huge battler, she mainly competed in the Pokémon Beauty Contest. She was a legend to everyone. She held first place and Master Rank for most of her life, but the fame and The Rank weren't enough for her. When her best Pokémon for the Contest, a Togepi, evolved into a Togetic, she thought that it wasn't cute enough anymore. So she caught me. She believed in natural beauty, so I never wore any lame costumes, my fur was just brushed, and my tail was fluffed elegantly."_

I glanced at her tail which was peeking out from behind her. It was still fluffy and cute.

 _"After a while, she craved more praise. She needed a more cute Pokémon than just me. One day, while traveling, we came across this handsome and muscular Lucario. He was immediately attracted to me and my trainer caught him. His name was Lucas. One thing led to another with us and I became pregnant. We had a beautiful boy. His name is Alexander. He's the Riolu that was downstairs today. I was lucky enough to have him assigned to my group. He is my everything."_

She sighed, _"Lucas left too soon. You know as much as anyone that if you are famous, you will also have people who hate you. Many competitive battlers despised my trainer because they believed that Pokémon were meant for fighting only. One day, some punks surrounded us in the woods. They had pistols pointed at our heads. I cowered in fear and I covered my crying Riolu. One trigger-happy sonofabitch shot straight for Samantha, but Lucas jumped in front of her and took it in the chest. He fell to the ground and the bastards ran away. I ran over to Lucas. He was bleeding. We stared into each other's eyes. In an attempt to save him I placed my paw on his chest and released all the healing Aura I had. It was too late, he had lost too much blood. He told me that he loved me, and I almost said it back, but Samantha grabbed my arm and ran away with me in her grasp before I could. Years passed, and now… here we are. I have since learned to let go of the past and keep moving forward, but sometimes I think about Samantha and Lucas. What is our old universe like without Pokémon?"_

I refused to tell her the truth about her old universe, about how with no Pokémon, her universe probably crumbled. Instead, I pressed for more questions, "Hey, Uh, Katie? When I was unconscious last night, you didn't do anything to me, did you?"

She knew what I meant and quickly replied with a no and a blush.

I then asked, "Do you know where my clothes went last night?"

She nodded and said, _"Yveltal took them, for some reason."_

"Did you love Lucas?" I asked.

 _"With all my heart. I pledged to myself that I would never love again. That is until… nevermind."_ She sighed.

I knew her feeling all too well. How could I betray someone I loved by loving someone else? "Ever wish you could start over?" The words blurted out of my mouth.

She gave me a confused look, _"What do you mean?"_

I nervously chuckled and said, "I mean, ever wish that you could give love another try?"

She nodded, _"Every day."_

My body took over. I closed the gap between us and pressed my lips against hers. We were up against each other again, somehow even closer than when we hugged. Without hesitation, she returned the kiss. My arms were placed around her waist while her arms were wrapped around my neck. She focused Aura into her lips and gave me energy. It was tingly, but it filled my body with the mood of love. The kiss lasted a long time, but we eventually broke it for air. We stared into each other's eyes. Her glistening rubies-for-irises were beautiful.

 _"Katie, I… I think that I lo—"_ She smiled and kissed me again, without needing to hear the rest of my sentence. She understood.

It made no sense, my feelings for her. She was my captor, my enslaver. She was a Pokémon, something close to an animal in this world. I had just met her. It took me years for me to realize my love for Sarah. I was confused as hell, but I knew that I wasn't lying to myself either. I loved her.

All of a sudden, I jolted up from my bed and gasped for air. It was a dream. It was _her_ dream. It was _our_ dream. I propped up on my small bunk and stretched. Everyone else was already gone. I thought about our imaginary kiss. I still somehow felt her warmth.

 _'Good morning,'_ a soothing voice sang in my head.

I smiled and thought, 'Good morning.'

Her voice called back, _'It's time for work. I'll be pitching in today, so it'll be an easy day.'_

I smiled and launched myself out of my top bunk. I slammed my feet on the ground and stabilized upon landing. I walked out of my room and down the stairs, where I was greeted by a smiling Katie. I motioned for her hand, but she didn't take it.

 _'Richard, I love you, but other Pokémon won't take this easily.'_

I frowned but nodded in understanding. "So, you're gonna help us out today?" I asked her as we headed out the back door.

 _"Yeah, I am gonna just do some odd jobs, wherever I'm needed. Hopefully we can get what we need to get done early so I can properly introduce you to everyone."_

I worked in the field again, with my heavy basket and my sweat. The sun was brutal, as was to be expected in the Ohio summer. After breakfast and lunch, Katie came over to the blueberry fields with me to help. While I was exhausted from a hard day's work, she was calm but energized. Her body was surrounded by a haze of Aura, as she was moving faster, smarter, and more efficiently than I was.

I snickered and called to her, "I wish I could work that fast."

She stopped to look at me. Smiling she said, _"I told you: I am no ordinary Lucario. I have an idea. Most Lucario cannot do this."_

She walked over to me, placed a hand on my chest and pumped pure strength into me. My energy felt renewed, as my body illuminated blue. I smiled at her and started to pick berries. I became much faster and I was picking at the pace that she was. She was amazing. Everything about her mesmerized me. Easily finishing our jobs before dinner, we all went back inside.

On the way in, I asked Katie, _"Do we have running water? I need a shower pretty badly."_

She looked at my sweaty body and said, _"Unfortunately, we don't have a working shower, but there's a well not too far from here. We can get some water, but later. Right now, I need to introduce you."_

We all gathered in a family room of sorts. I sat by Katie and the humans and Pokémon gathered around.

 _"Alright everyone. As you already know, this is Richard. I would like you all to introduce yourselves."_

A girl that looked about 19 introduced herself first, "Hi, I'm Sarah." She had dirty blonde hair and blue eyes. She looked eerily similar to my late wife.

"Nice to meet you," I said quietly, as memories flowed back into my mind.

"Hello sir, my name is Jarod," said a young, teenage boy.

I gave him a nod and a smile in acknowledgement.

A woman in her mid-forties said, "Hello, Richard. My name is Christina. My wife, Jane, and I were the past owners." She motioned towards another female. I assumed that this meant that they were a lesbian couple.

I smiled brightly at them both, "Nice to meet you both."

The last of the humans addressed me, "Hello, I am Zandra." She was an African-American female, who looked rather strong, but very kind at the same time. Unlike the others, she seemed slightly angry at the situation she was in.

"Hello, Zandra. Nice to meet you all," I said.

And then a Pokémon started to speak. _"Star, Staravia."_

Katie chuckled and said, _"I think I'll save you all the trouble and introduce all for you. Richard, the Staravia is Mia. That Cacturne is Brian. The little Piplup is Laura. The Shinx is named Noah. And this here,"_ She picked up a cute little Riolu in her arms, to which the Riolu responded by curling up in them, _"This is Alexander. My little boy."_

I smiled at the Riolu. He stared at me and smiled back, closing his eyes and melting in his mother's embrace. "He's so cute," I said.

Katie beamed at the compliment, _"He's my most valuable treasure. Anyways. Everyone, you are free to rest. Richard and I are going to the well and maybe go to get us some dinner from town. We will be back soon."_

Everyone nodded and left the room, all but Katie, Alex, and I. I wasn't aware that I was the one going to go out and fetch the water, but I didn't mind, I would have Katie by my side. Anyways, who doesn't love a little adventure?

I turned to Katie and asked, "Can your son understand me?"

She took her eyes off of the Riolu in her lap and looked at me, she replied, _"Not yet, he has to grow before he can."_ She nudged the Riolu and it crawled out of her embrace and stood on the floor. Katie faced her son and said, _"Mommy will be gone for a while, will you be okay to stay here?"_ The Riolu hesitantly nodded. _"Alright, honey. Go find Mia, she would love to play with you while I'm gone. Stay safe, sweetie."_ The loving Lucario gave her son a hug. After that, Alex scurried out of the room.

"That was the most adorable thing I've ever seen," I said.

Katie blushed and told me, _"I am sorry that you never had the joy of having a child."_ And with that, we left for the well.

The midday sun was fierce. Katie and I walked through the fields of the farm to the outskirts, with huge wheelbarrows in tow. We walked in silence, but we both knew full well that our minds were screaming. My mind raced with thoughts of Katie, and I could only assume that the thoughts were reciprocated. We reached the well after a good while. It was a pump system with a long pipe jutting down a hole in the Earth. I positioned the wheelbarrow underneath the spout and began to pump. Well water began to surface and filled it. After both of our wheelbarrows were filled, we began to head back. I learned quickly that a full wheelbarrow is a lot harder to handle than an empty one. Katie saw me struggling, as she pumped herself with Aura and was having no problem at all. She stopped and came over to me. She placed her hand on my chest again and delivered strength in the form of Aura. I moved the wheelbarrow easily after that.

It only took us a couple of minutes to return home. When we arrived I began to think of how I would be able to bathe, after all, all we had was water in a barrow.

"Hey Katie, I know this might be a lot to ask, but I need many strips of wood planks, a hammer, nails, a saw, duct tape, a barrel, and piping."

She nodded and said, _"We pretty much have anything you could think of in the tool shed, let me go see."_ She left and returned with a blue plastic barrel filled with the things that I had asked for, but it only had a few planks.

I took them from her, "Thanks. Is there any more wood?"

She replied, _"Yes, it'll just take me a few trips to haul it all. I presume that you are building a shower?"_

I nodded as my answer and she was off for another trip to get wood. I got to work.

In about an hour, I had built an elevated stand for a tank to sit on out of wood, which was positioned right outside of the house. It had a makeshift ramp leading up to it, which doubled as a stabilizer. Then, I hauled the empty barrel up the ramp and placed it into position. I then bolted it into place. Then, there was the hard part: the plumbing. I sawed a tiny hole on the bottom of the side of the barrel and fed a PVC pipe through it. I duct taped it to the barrel on the inside and outside, to ensure that no water would leak. Then I attached a valve handle and a nozzle pointing down, both of which were secured by duct tape. All the while, Katie was watching me work. She was fascinated by my craftiness and intelligence.

She asked, _"Have you ever made a shower before?"_

I chuckled and replied with, "Nope, but trust me, I've made much more complicated machinery than a simple faucet."

I went inside the house and raided the shower curtain from the now-useless shower and hung it on a wooden apparatus I had surrounding where I would stand. I had also built a shelf in the interior, which I placed a bar of soap, shampoo, conditioner, and some towels that I found in the bathroom as well. I finished by wheeling the wheelbarrows of water of up the ramp to the barrel. Katie helped me slowly pour the water into the barrel. I was silently praying to Arceus that the duct tape would hold. I don't know why I doubted myself, I was quite the handyman. It held beautifully. Both wheelbarrows of water were just enough to fill half of the barrel.

"Well, it's time to test it out," I said, "Would you care to join me? I mean, you've already seen me naked."

She blushed at my bluntness and whispered, _"Richard, you know I can't. Our love is not approved of."_

I snickered, "Who's around here watching?"

She looked around at her surroundings to only see a deserted farm. No one was there to stop her.

She sighed and looked down at herself, _"Well, I do need a shower."_

She began to grin as we both stepped inside of the curtain and closed it. I slid my shirt over my head, letting the sunlight hit my chest and back. I then slipped off my shoes and socks. As I bent down to do so, I noticed Katie admiring the way my chest arched, revealing faint abs. When I took my pants off, she began to shift slowly back and forth. Her gaze never faltered as I pulled my underwear down to the ground, revealing my semi flaccid dick. I placed my discarded clothes on the platform that the barrel was on and turned to look at Katie. She was still staring at my dick and had a slight glint in her eye. I lightly turned the valve to its 'on' state, and it responded by a steady stream of water falling onto my head. It was refreshingly warm from the summer sun.

I squirted some shampoo into my hands and swirled it in my hair. Once I rinsed off, I took the bar of soap and lathered it in my hands. I began moving my hands up and down my body, my skin began to collect suds, which made my body shine. Katie could no longer control herself as she took the bar of soap and began to wash my body for me. I did not object. Her soft paws were so soothing as they caressed my body. There was a slight hint of lust in her eyes as her paws moved from washing my chest downward. Her hands eventually found my penis. Completely ignoring the fact that she was washing me, she moved on to playing with it.

As my body was rinsed from the water above, she lightly tugged my cock up, down, left, and right, causing it to become firmly erect. It was as if she was playing the Atari, flailing around the joystick. It sent fuzzy sensations up my spine and I never wanted it to end, but I knew that we couldn't do this right now.

Through heavy breathing, I said, "Katie, this isn't the best place for that."

She stared into my eyes, keeping her paws on my dick and said, _"I know it's not, but I can't go another minute without at least touching it."_

We both blushed and I said, "We don't have much water left. So you better finish me quick."

She gave me a smirk and began to pump my dick with her paws. It somehow became even more erect in her hands, to which she smiled. Then, she got down onto her knees and became head height to my dick. She stared up into my eyes as she licked her lips in anticipation. "You don't need permission from me," I gasped out as she kissed the tip, then opened her mouth around it. She closed her maw once it reached the end of it and she began to greedily lick my length. I let out a loud moan as the warmth of her mouth engulfed my cock. He saliva caked my dick as her tongue began to swirl around my tip. Her eyes shut as she began to make faint, involuntary slurping sounds. I subconsciously bucked my hips forward, sending my dick deeper into her maw, eliciting a loud gag followed by an even louder moan. Her moaning sent tingly vibrations throughout my penis which traveled up my body. Our moans fed off of each other's loudness. Neither of us cared about who could've heard them. We were too caught up in the moment to give a shit about anything else other than each other. She began to bob her head up and down on it, going all the way out to my tip, then jamming back to the end, having my tip hit the back of her mouth. She never stopped licking and sucking, as I began to spew precum into her. She took the clear, sticky substance down her throat as she began to hum on my dick. She was not one to take things slow, as her thrusts grew faster and the vibrations grew more pleasurable. My hands shot out to her head and began to massage her ears, making her moan even more. I knew I would not last long.

"Baby, I'm going to cum soon."

A smile formed around her muzzle while my dick was still inside of it and she began to pump even faster. She put her teeth into it, which felt like someone was stroking a cock with a fine comb. My dick responded immediately and began to pulsate. Ample amounts precum filled her mouth, to which she gladly swallowed. She continued at her fast pace and my dick began to throb more fiercely. I felt my climax coming up fast, but I held it back. It was as though my dick was inflated, just waiting to burst. She did not care too much for my resilience and began to furiously ravage my cock. Her licks grew greedier and her hums crescendoed. I bucked in and out of her mouth in perfect rhythm with her bobbing. My refusal to release just created more precum, which flowed down her throat like a river. Impatient as hell, Katie shot her Aura through my dick and caused it to vibrate. It vibrated the inside of my cock and balls. I suddenly moaned loudly and shoved my dick straight down her throat. She gagged for a second, but then moaned loudly, voraciously slurping around my cock. I had seemed to fuck her silly, as her eyes were nearly in the back of her head.

Even through the running water, I sweat profusely as I strained myself to keep my cum in for as long as possible. Katie began growling on my dick, furious that she hadn't gotten me to burst yet. The strain was unbearable as my overinflated cock begged for release. I felt myself on the verge of passing out, so I began to let my guard down. As soon as I did, I moaned as Katie began to tease my cum into the shaft of my cock. Through her bobs, I felt a rocket of cum surge to my tip.

I could not get the words, "I'm cumming," out of my mouth before my cock bursted. White, hot cum poured out of my dick, plastering the inside of her maw and throat. She moaned my name, having her sexy voice echo throughout my mind. She hugged my body tight, wrapping her paws around my waist and burying her maw into my crotch, as she took all of it, making sure that none of my cum dripped out. I could feel her throat and tongue moving and lapping as she thirstily drank all of it. My cock continued to throb as she pulled her head away, gasping for air. This left the remaining shots of cum that I had to paint her face. Some squirted onto her chin, some dripped right above her eye, and some even coated her ear. She quickly got up and kissed me passionately. Some of my cum stuck to my face and I could taste my cum in her mouth, but I didn't care. She sent Aura throughout my body. It was pure love.

After our kiss broke, I contently whispered, "I love you too," and moved on to bathe her as my dick calmed down slightly.

I looked up at the barrel to see the faint outline of the water through the side of it. It was almost empty. I sighed and said, "Don't worry baby, I'll return the favor soon enough. But the water's going to run out soon and I still have to bathe you." She nodded, with both lust and my cum still caking her face.

Our love had grown so fast. While I was conditioning her fur, I prayed that no one heard our moans from the house. My rubs and massages throughout her fur must have been driving her mad, due to her lightly moaning into every touch. I felt bad for causing that insatiable need for release, but she had to get cleaned up. After our shower, I turned the valve to 'off' and toweled off my wet body while Katie shook like a dog. Her fur proofed up.

I snickered and said, "Awww, you look so cute like that."

She blushed and said, _"No I do not! I look like a little puffball!"_

I replied with, "Exactly!"

We both laughed as I put my clothes back on and she adjusted her fur. I pulled back the shower curtain to reveal the outside world, and a curious Riolu and Staravia covering the little child's ears. They were staring at us both.

"Oh shit."

We both stared at Alex and Mia. Mia had a surprised look while Alex had a confused look. Neither Katie nor I knew what to say. But Katie had to say something. She was the only one who could communicate with them.

She nervously began with, _"Uh, hey guys. How long have you been there?"_

The Staravia said, _"Staravia star,"_ to which Katie responded with a blush.

The Staravia gave the Lucario a subtle smirk and walked away with the Riolu.

"What did she say?"

Katie turned her gaze towards me and said, _"'Long enough.'"_


	10. X: Divine Intervention

**X: Divine Intervention**

Katie and I tried to forget about what had happened with her son and Mia as we ran along the road towards the town. She would steal the occasional glance at me, and quickly look forward again, with an almost undetectable blush on her cheeks. I was a fool to let my guard down in the shower like that, but what was done was done. It just seemed too soon at the moment. I just had to wait for the repercussions later. At around four o'clock in the afternoon, the road gave way to a small, old town. Despite being an Ohioan, I could not say for certain whether I knew the town or not. It seemed cramped from a distance, like it wasn't fit to handle the realities of the new world. It was as though it was crumbling from the newfound pressure.

We slowed to a walk and I stepped in line beside Katie. Brick buildings spanned on both sides of the main road. It seemed ghostly with no lights or sounds of cars. 'The Electric Types assigned to the electricity plants must be taking a break,' I jokingly thought. This was my first experience out in public in the new world that we lived in. Very few humans walked the streets; it was mainly just a plethora of Pokémon. The few humans that I saw were accompanied by other Pokémon and had these stoic looks plastered onto their face. However, it wasn't difficult to see right through their act. They were in pain and dying. All of them. As I stared at the other people, some of their Pokémon owners would give me warning looks. Some others simply glanced at me and went on with their business.

As we walked, more and more Pokémon began to glare at me. I noticed Katie getting more and more agitated by the stares we were attracting. One group in particular was walking towards us along the sidewalk. It was a Gardevoir, a Gothitelle, a Delphox, and at the head of them all, a huge Alakazam. He was very muscular, as if he had used steroids all his life. The three other Pokémon all clung to his arms, finding somewhere to hold onto him. I looked around at the other Pokémon walking around. They were all looking at the four approaching Pokémon. Some stared with wide, knowing eyes while others had smirks on their faces. These Pokémon knew what was coming, but Katie and I didn't.

As they approached, the Alakazam huffed in a deep voice, _"Excuse me ladies, but I think we have a catch for our business."_

With that, they all sprung into action. The Alakazam grabbed me as the female Pokémon jumped Katie. I tried to crawl free of the Alakazam's grasp to help Katie, but it was no use. His grasp was as strong as a steel trap. I watched in horror as the females used powerful attacks on her. She was fuming in rage and she released a powerful last-ditch Aura Pulse, which knocked out all of the girls. It shocked the Alakazam that such a beautiful Pokémon could deliver such a powerful attack, but he quickly snapped out of it and used Teleport. The last thing I saw of Katie was her running towards me, with her paw stretched outward, beckoning me to take it.

None of the bystanders tried to help. I am unsure whether they didn't try because they didn't care, or because they knew that it was no use.

We reappeared at the entrance to a warehouse. The Alakazam dragged me through the doors. The inside was decorated interestingly. It had a strangely romantic undertone by the way the lighting was and the reddish paint that was used on the walls.

The Alakazam said, _"Hey, Luke! I got a fresh one for ya!"_

An equally muscular Lucario entered the main lobby room with us and said, _"Ooh, you got a good one! Thanks John, the money won't be the only tip you'll be getting tonight…"_

The Alakazam grew a slight boner at his boss's implications. John handed me to Luke and left, presumably for his next 'catch.'

The Lucario said to me in a deep, seductive tone, _"Welcome to PokéPalace, where all sexual fantasies come to life. Here, you will be a sex slave. Don't you worry, you will learn to love it. Oh, and if you get a lot of tips, I repay you personally at the end of the day."_

I knew what he meant by that.

As he led me to my room, he said, _"Y'know? I used to be straight, but a bitch left me when I needed her most. Now, guys are the only dependable people. Fuck women."_

I made a face of pure disgust at him, and he most definitely saw it, but he ignored me.

Once we got the room, he pushed me inside, saying, _"Alright, your first customer will be arriving soon, so get ready for a fun ride."_

He snickered to himself and closed the door, locking it and leaving me inside. I didn't know what to do. I looked at my surroundings nervously. It resembled a bedroom, but it was a lot more 'romantic' than a normal one. There were some torture objects and bondage items beside the bed on a nightstand. I was not fond of that _at all_. I quickly went over to the items and shoved them all under the bed, in an attempt to hide them. The seriousness of the situation hit me. I was about to be raped. Repeatedly.

A sudden jolt on the door to the room made me jump.

A Gallade stepped in and said, _"Alright, I got fifteen minutes with you, so don't waste my time, do you understand?"_

I slowly nodded and tears formed in my eyes. He noticed and said, _"When I am done with you, those will be tears of pleasure!"_

He grabbed me by the waist and threw me onto the bed, pinning me down with my upper body propped up on the headboard of the bed. It all happened so quickly that I was in a confused daze. He climbed on top of me, standing on the bed. That's when I saw it. He was already a little aroused. He moved his slightly erect dick closer and closer to my mouth.

I turned my head to avoid his cock, and it ended up poking the side of my cheek. He screamed, _"Suck it, you sonofabitch! Or else I'll kill you!"_

I did as I was told and took it in my mouth. I was taking him in slowly, trying not to shove his long dick down my throat. It felt almost rubbery and very veiny. It was a texture that I absolutely despised. He tasted like a dirty sock and I wanted to gag just from that alone. He did make me gag, however, when he thrusted his entire length down my throat. He wasted no time pulling out of my mouth to his tip to admire my saliva on his dick. He smirked widely and launched his cock back down my throat. This time, he let out a loud grunt-like moan.

During his relentless pounding of my mouth, he shouted in a deep, commanding voice, _"Take it all in, bitch! I'm your master! Do you understand me?"_

I cried fiercely, as I gave the Gallade pleasure. He moaned—I sobbed. There was nothing else to it.

 _"I said, do you understand me, bitch?"_ His thrusts became unbearably violent as he stretched my throat out, due to his girth.

I quickly nodded, accidentally bending his dick as it was in my mouth, to which he gave a gruff moan. He gripped my neck and began to choke me. My face grew red from the lack of oxygen as my consciousness began to fade.

He screamed, _"Take it all, you whore!"_ As he thrusted harder and deeper than ever before, sending his tip far into my throat.

He came, spewing his cum deep into my mouth and into my stomach. His tip was already so far down that I didn't even taste it. He pulled out after finishing and I gasped for breath. I gave him a horrified and disgusted look as I sobbed uncontrollably.

He scoffed and said, _"What the fuck?! Enjoy my dick you ungrateful fuck! I still have a couple of minutes, so I might as well do it again if you are gonna be that way!"_

He forced his dick back into my mouth. This time, I tasted his cum, as he still had some left over on his tip from the last round. This time, he gripped and pulled my hair as he bobbed my head up and down his shaft. My eyes were glued shut and I just tried to act like I wasn't there. But I was, and I felt his dick thrusting in and out of me. I could feel it pulsating and throbbing on my tongue. He was close again already. He began to buck his hips forward and backward in unison to him jerking my head up and down on his shaft. His moans grew long and drawn out as he quickly approached his climax.

 _"You're mine, you fucking whore! You're my bitch and that's all you ever will be! So take. My. Cum!"_

He erupted in my mouth, forcing me to taste his cum. It was very salty and no matter how much I tried to swallow, some of it would stick to my tongue and teeth. Its abundant warmth lingered wherever it touched. It was disgusting. Before he finished he pulled out and shot strings of cum all over my body. It was like taking a bath in syrup.

The Gallade admired his work, smirked at me, and said, _"Little human slut."_ With that, he left, with his slight erection obviously showing.

The rest of the day is too hazy for me to recall.

During the night, I laid in the bed. The room reeked of sex. I was sore, tired, and crying. Never had I felt more like an object in my life. None of these Pokémon respected our lives. They were too happy to be on the top of the food chain for once. There was nothing I wanted more than to die. I then began to think of the items that I shoved under the bed. I remembered that one of them was something along the lines of a metal stake. I sobbed to myself as I slithered off of the bed. In the darkness, I groped around underneath the bed. I felt a long, sharp, and cold object and picked it up out of the pile. I had found what I was looking for. I got up from the floor and sat on the side of the bed. I laid the spike next to me on the bed and held my head in my arms. My body slouched and I cried. I bawled. It was the end of the line for me. I just wished that my end would have been with Katie.

I thought in my head, 'I love you, Katie. Please remember me and work for the future integration between our species. Please do that for me. Goodbye.'

I picked up the spike and held it in front of my chest. I wound up my arms and briskly moved the spike towards my heart. Right before the metal pierced my skin, a beautiful voice filled my mind.

She said, _'Wait, Richard! I'm here to save you!'_

Katie was too late to save me. The spike entered my body and made it to my heart. My chest was caked in blood and I leaned back on the bed, waiting for my breathing to stop and death to claim my soul. Right as my vision began to fade, Katie burst through the wall. She ran over to me, ripped the spike out, and pumped my body with Aura. She was crying. The last thing that I heard was her whispering to me.

She whispered, _"Please. I don't want to lose you too."_

My eyes were blinded by white. The same white that filled my eyes during the vortex blast. And with that, I died.

I was taken to a blank canvas. I felt a weightless sensation in my body. I looked around me, just to see a vast expanse of plain whiteness. I waited for a second, until a large beast appeared in front of me. He was huge, with yellow-tipped feet and an X-shaped gold emblem protruding from his waist. He was mostly white other than that. His green and red eyes radiated true power.

I looked up at him and simply said, "Hello, Arceus. Long time, no see."

He smiled and replied, _"Hello, Richard. What brings you to my kingdom so soon?"_

My expression changed to pure sadness and I told him, "Terrible things have happened to me since we last spoke. I killed myself, Arceus." I began to cry.

He said, _"Listen, Richard. I do not hate you for what you have done. I know that your heart is pure and bright. Unlike Mew, I believe in our coexistence, much like you do. That is why I am willing to do something for you, but you must promise to fulfil your… our… dreams."_

I looked up at him with tears filling my eyes and flooding my cheeks. I said, "Arceus, I am willing to do anything to make integration possible. I want a peaceful world."

He smiled and said, _"Well, you can't do that up in Heaven, so I'm willing to give you life. By the way, I would not be able to do this if it weren't for that Lucario giving you her Aura. Be sure to thank her."_

I gave him a huge smile of appreciation and said, "Thank you!"

He nodded and I began to glow. Before I was transported back to my body, he said, _"Richard, do what you have to do to make it work."_

I felt excited that I would be able to see Katie again. I told Arceus, "I will!" After that, my vision blacked out.

I groaned softly as I opened my eyes. I lifted my head up slowly and found that my chest showed no signs of being impaled. I was in the middle of the night and I was back in the meadow. Laying on my lower chest was the head of a beautiful Lucario. She had a frown on her face and her cheeks were covered in dried tears. She was clinging to the bloody spike and had her arms wrapped around it, almost hugging it. She slept soundly, as if she had passed out. I then noticed that my body was glowing a deep blue. She had pumped all of her Aura into me. She used all of her energy to save me. It could've killed her. My love for her exploded. I crawled out from under her, stood up, and picked her up off of the grass. Her Aura that she pumped into me made me feel super powerful, as my strength, my intelligence, my speed, my agility, and my love were on overdrive. As I carried her bridal-style, I sprinted back towards the farm. My feet flew on the pavement of the road and the wind blew my brown hair violently. I looked down at the Lucario's face. She was still asleep and visibly heartbroken. I knew that having no Aura must've been hurting her. She was still hugging the stake and would not let go of it. I picked up speed and rocketed towards the farm.

I made it to the driveway in a few minutes. I bursted through the front door, and ran to the stairs. I jogged up the stairs at an incredible speed, skipping three steps at a time. I shot through Katie's bedroom door and placed her gently on her bed. I checked her breathing. It was faint and slow. She was dying. I had to think of something fast. I ran down the stairs to the kitchen. The metal fridge was covered in magnets. I snatched all of them in my hands and then began to sift through every drawer in the room until I came upon what I needed; a pair of wireless earbuds. With my Aura strength, I cracked open the earbuds like peanuts and took the neodymium magnets out of them. I sprinted back to Katie. Her voice filled my thoughts, 'In the hands, wrists, knees, thighs, neck, and head, but the strongest place Aura is is the heart.' I placed countless fridge magnets on the important places of her body. Each magnet held in place, due to her being a Steel Type. I saved the powerful ones for last. I put one of the two neodymium magnets on her heart and the other on her forehead. After a few seconds, she grew a faint blue mist around her. It was working, but it obviously wasn't good enough.

I didn't notice the crowd start to form behind me. Brian, Noah, Mia, Laura, Jarod, Christina, Sarah, Jane, and Zandra were all in the room staring at the near-dead Lucario. At the head of the scared and worried spectators was Alex, Katie's little son. He had tears in his eyes. I went over and knelt in front of the Riolu.

I looked the poor child in the eyes and pleaded, "I know you cannot understand me, but please, Alex, help me save her." I was crying as well, as I knew my attempt was going to be futile.

The Riolu took his eyes off of me and looked back at his mother dying on the bed. Alex clenched his eyes shut and held his head. He looked like he was in pain from something, like a Psyduck. In his struggle, he began to glow white and everyone's attention turned to him. His legs stretched out and grew. His chest grew yellow fur and a large spike in the middle. His arms stretched out as well and developed slight muscles and paw spikes. His face matured and his eyes exploded with power. His ears grew taller and two more sensory bundles formed and paired with his pre-existing ones. Finally a black stripe formed atop his head, connecting to his 'mask.'

I stood up to be able to look at Alex's eyes again, to which he said, _"Please move, Richard."_

I did what I was told and he walked to his mother. He placed his palm atop the neodymium magnets and his mother's heart and forehead. He radiated blue and shot waves of Aura into his mother. After a few seconds he stopped and looked at his mother. The group and I gathered around her bed. Katie regained proper breathing and her eyes began to flutter. We all started to smile. I grabbed her hand and Alex grabbed her other. Katie opened her eyes and looked at me with a beautiful smile.

She whispered, _"Richard, I thought I lost you."_

I radiated happiness and told her, "You saved me, honey."

Alex glared at me for calling her that, but returned his gaze to his mother. Katie turned her attention to the figure next to her.

She gasped and exclaimed, _"Oh my gosh! Alex? Is that you?"_

Alex nodded and said, _"Yes, mom, it's me."_

Katie beamed with pride and said, _"Look at you! You're all grown up! You are a Lucario now, sweetie!"_ Katie leaned upwards and pulled both her son and I into a hug. She whispered, _"Thank you both. And Alex, I am so proud of you."_ She let us go, but kept holding our hands. She chuckled and said, _"While everyone is here. I have an announcement to make,"_ she looked up into my eyes, _"Richard and I are together now. Please be open-minded about our relationship."_

Katie and I both looked at everyone's faces, trying to see a response. They were all smiling. They all supported us. Even Alex was slightly smiling, which made me feel happy.

Jane spoke up, holding Cristina's hand, "Guys, we don't care who loves each other, just as long as there is love between you two. We all support you."

Katie brightened up and said, _"Thank you all. Now, I really need some rest."_

Everyone started clearing out of her room and I followed them out. As I reached the door, Katie called, _"Richard, please stay with me tonight."_ Alex rolled his eyes and left as I closed the door.

I walked over to the bed and climbed in with Katie. I chuckled and said, "Your son has become quite the teenager."

She laughed and said, _"Don't worry, he'll warm up to you."_

I hoped so. I curled up to Katie, and she returned the gesture by cuddling into my chest.

I whispered to her, "We died."

She nodded and added, _"But Arceus has a plan for us."_

I smiled and asked, "So he spoke with you as well, huh?"

She nodded again and said, _"He told me to protect you and support you at all costs. And I plan to."_

I felt flattered. I then asked her, "Why did you keep the stake?"

She sighed and said, _"I thought that it was all that would be left of you."_

I smiled and said, "I love you Katie, but if it ever comes down to it, don't save me over yourself. This one time was enough for me."

She laughed faintly and said, _"Don't kill yourself again, then."_

I kissed her head (as well as the magnet) and said, "Thank you."

She replied with, _"No, thank you."_

It was silent for a few seconds until I spoke up, "Dammit, we forgot to get dinner."

She laughed and we both drifted to sleep in each other's embrace.


	11. XI: The Visit

**XI: The Visit**

The morning sunlight shown through the bedroom window. My eyes slowly opened as I yawned myself awake. I looked down at the Lucario lying against me. She had curled up toward my chest and snuggled me. She looked so peaceful. I crawled out of bed, trying not to disturb her. I sat up and stared out of the window. It was very early in the morning. I began to smell a disgusting stench. It was me. I still had a bit of dried, crusted blood and cum on me. I then remembered the events of the day before. I quickly shook the terrifying thoughts from my mind and got up to leave. As I did, I saw Katie squirm a bit in her sleep, groping for something beside her that wasn't there. I smiled slightly as I realized that she was trying to find me in her sleep. I felt bad for having to get up and leave her alone in bed, but I needed a shower. Bad.

I left the room and descended the stairs. I exited out of the back door and walked towards the makeshift shower. As I approached, I began to hear the sound of running water and noticed that the curtain was closed shut. I kept my distance from the shower and sat down on the ground; I didn't want to disturb whoever was inside.

But, nevertheless, a male's voice called to me from the shower, _"Good morning, Richard."_

I chuckled at the fact that he knew I was there, "Hello, Alex. Did you sleep well?"

He said, _"Well seeing as I am up at the crack of dawn for once in my life, I guess I did."_

The water shut off and I heard the Lucario shake. After awhile, he opened the curtain and stepped out. His fur was puffed up.

I smiled and said, "Your mother had trouble with that as well."

He looked down at himself to discover what I was talking about. He quickly began groaning and straightening his fur.

Once he finished, I motioned for him to take a seat next to me. With reluctancy in his steps, he did, and I said, "I know that you are not completely on board with me being with your mother. But that's alright. I want to earn your love, but to do that, I need to know how."

He gave me a surprised and confused look. He then glanced forward towards the fields and said, _"I don't know. I know that you are a good guy. I mean, I have Aura abilities now and can read your Aura. You seem pure."_ He paused for a second, then chuckled. _"I guess I owe_ you _for that. You_ did _help me evolve."_ He smiled at me and I returned the smile.

I replied with, "Don't give me credit for that, buddy. You did that on your own to help your mother, which l am grateful for." I leaned over and hugged him, which he surprisingly returned. We broke it and I looked into his eyes and asked him a question, "Would you be alright with me marrying your mother?"

His eyes widened. He was truly shocked. _"I… I mean… You two just met!"_

I nodded and told him, "I know, but yesterday, when we died, Arceus came to us. He told your mother to protect me. I can only guess that means that we will be together until we die. So, I am asking you if you would be comfortable with me as your father."

He said, _"But I already had a father. He was strong and kind and caring towards my mom and I. Can you be like my father? Truly?"_

I sighed and stared forward, away from his glance. I said, "You know, Alex, I can only hope I can be as amazing as Lucas."

He asked, _"You know about my father?"_

I nodded and said, "I do. Your mother told me everything. He's a hero, you know."

He sighed and nodded slightly. _"I miss him. Everyday, I miss having a father in my life."_ He began to tear up.

I leaned over and hugged him again. I said, "I am willing to be that father, if you'd like."

With tears in his eyes, he nodded. I broke the hug and patted him on the back. He calmed down and smiled at me.

 _"Thanks, Dad."_

Hearing him say that filled me with pure joy. My smile was so large that he laughed.

Alex got up from the ground and said, _"I'll leave you to your shower. See you later, Dad!"_

He walked away and I got up. I walked towards the shower and stepped in.

After my shower, I tried to find Alex. I had formulated a plan. I walked around the outside of the house and found him in the front yard. He was charging up Aura Spheres and firing them at the birds flying in the sky.

I called to him, "Practicing?"

He turned his attention towards me and said, _"Yeah, I still haven't hit anything though."_

I walked over to where he was and said, "Well, are you leading your shots?"

He looked at me with a confused look and said, _"Am I what?"_

I laughed and said, "When firing at moving targets you have to predict where they are going to be when the Sphere will cross its path. Oh, and try not to kill the birds. They didn't do anything to you."

He laughed and said, _"Okay, I understand."_

He then charged up a tiny, non-lethal Aura Sphere and waited. After a few seconds, a bird flew out from a nearby tree. Alex moved his arm farther than where the bird was and fired. The bird flew right into it. It faltered, but quickly regained its composure and flew off.

I smiled and said, "Alright! You got him!" I held my hand out for a high-five. He smiled and gave me one.

 _"Thanks, Dad! Haha, you're already teaching me things!"_

I chuckled. I had forgotten that he was still a child for a second. That was easy to do, seeing as he had become much more mature when compared to himself from the day before.

I then remembered why I was trying to find him. "Hey, Alex? Could I ask you a favor?"

He looked at me and asked, _"What is it?"_

I replied with, "If you could, please talk with Mia and ask her to fly into town and get an engagement ring for me. I saw a jewelry store in town yesterday."

He said, _"Sure thing,"_ and rushed inside to find Mia. On his way in, another Lucario passed him. Alex said, _"Hi, Mom,"_ before bolting past her.

Katie walked over to me and asked, _"What in the world has gotten into him?"_

I lied and said, "No clue."

She walked up behind me and hugged her hands around my waist. She put her head on my shoulder and said, _"We should get to work, honey."_

I turned my head and kissed her cheek. I then said, "Yeah, let's go."

We walked over to the fields holding hands. When we got there, she placed her hands on my bare chest and pumped me with strength. We blew through a couple of patches of blueberries in no time. We made a great team. Our job was finished early, even before breakfast. I decided that I needed to distract Katie to ensure that she didn't find out about the plan.

I said, "We should go get some more water for the shower. We don't have much left in the barrel."

Katie said, _"Alright. I'll race you."_

She placed her hand on my chest and gave me speed, then she took off towards the wheelbarrow by the shower. I followed. We both grabbed one and then sped towards the well. I felt like a kid playing 'Mario Kart.' The wheelbarrow rattled violently and its wheel struggled to keep up with my speed. It couldn't revolve fast enough. The wheel suddenly buckled sideways and I was bucked in the air. I flew over the wheelbarrow and landed flat on my back.

Katie laughed at me from ahead and yelled, _"You need to work on your footing, honey."_

I chuckled and sat up. I got onto my feet and walked back over to the wheelbarrow, which was upside down. I repositioned it and continued to run. I eventually made it to the well, but Katie was already there waiting.

I said, "Sorry for your wait, I had a slight mishap back there."

We both laughed as we filled the wheelbarrows. We slowly walked back, for if we ran, the water would spill everywhere. She chatted with me about her old life, but I wasn't listening. I was lost in her face.

After awhile, she glanced over to me and said, _"Are you even listening?"_

I snapped out of it and mumbled, "Wha…?"

She laughed, as she knew that I was daydreaming about her. She said, _"Nevermind, carry on your dreaming."_ I did.

This love was so strange. I hate to say it, but it wasn't like the love that I had with Sarah, my late wife. The love Sarah and I shared was a love that we felt we wanted. What Katie and I had was a love that we felt we needed. It was special. I couldn't wait to marry her.

We returned home and dumped our water into the barrel. Once we finished, we went into the house to find the whole group waiting at the dining room table. They were all hungry, as we had all skipped dinner last night. Katie and I looked at each other, worried.

"Do we have more cereal?" I whispered.

She replied with, _"Enough for one more meal."_

I nodded and helped her get the bowls ready. Once they were filled with dry cereal and a spoon, we picked them up off of the counter and entered the dining room. I helped her pass them out to everyone. I noted that Mia was back, meaning that she probably had the ring. After all of the meals were passed out, I took my seat and began to eat. All of our meals went by with relatively no talking, but this one was full of chatter. Many of the Pokémon were talking amongst themselves while Katie and Alex occasionally talked to us humans. It was mainly small talk, which was unusual for us to have. I began to get suspicious. The whole room must've known that I was going to propose. I prayed to Arceus that it was still a surprise to Katie.

I quickly finished my bowl and left the room, hoping that Mia would follow. Somehow, she got the message and did. While we hid in the living room, she revealed a box that she was hiding in her feathers. I opened the box and it revealed a silver ring with sparkling rubies encresting the top. It would match her eyes beautifully. I looked back up at the Staravia and bowed to her. She understood my motion of thanks and returned a bow before she went back into the dining room to finish eating. I tucked the box into my pants pocket and sat down on the couch. I was so nervous.

As my mind began to wander, a voice called to me from my mind, _'Hold on to that stake, Richard.'_

I recognized it as the voice of Arceus. My back became stiff as anxiety flowed through me. What would I need it for? I followed his orders, nevertheless. I went up to our bedroom and took the spike that I impaled myself with and found a way to conceal it in my pants without it poking me.

I returned downstairs in time to cleanup from breakfast. I entered the dining room and retrieved my bowl. I went to the sink. By the sink was a little cup of water and a cloth. I dipped the cloth into the water and began to scrub out my bowl and wipe off my spoon. Unfortunately, this is the best we could do in terms of cleaning dishes, but I had plans of making a machine that would do it better. Brian filed in next to me and began doing the same. He glanced over at me, giving me a smirk. It seemed devious, coming from a Cacturne, but I knew there was no malicious intent. I knew that he knew about the ring. I nervously smiled back and continued scrubbing. I needed to get it over with before Katie found out, but it needed to be at the right time. Katie then joined beside me and began cleaning up as well.

As we stared into each other's eyes, a loud banging made us all jump. We were confused. I said, "It sounds like the front door." I put down the rag and walked over to the door. I opened it up to see a floating pink glob of evil in the doorway. Behind it was the punk Yveltal.

The ugly pink thing said, _"Hello, loverboy."_

She charged up an Aura Sphere and launched it at me. Without Katie's speed, I couldn't dodge it. It smacked me in the chest and launched me backwards. I slammed into the wall and fell to the ground. The wind was knocked out of me.

I gasped for air and said, "What… The hell do you want, Mew?"

Katie ran over to me and tried to comfort me, giving Mew a death stare. Mew laughed maniacally and said, _"I heard that there's another Pokémon here that can understand humans. We need a new leader for a group. I'm here to take him."_

Both Katie and I knew that she was there for Alex. We became panicked.

Mew floated past us and began searching the house for him. He was still in the dining room eating. Mew found him and used Psychic on the poor kid. We could hear his agonizing screams as his brain was being tortured. Mew led him back towards us, which was followed by our scared and enraged group.

Mew faced us and said, _"Well, I think we'll be leaving now. We have what we came for."_

Pure anger raged through my body, as I remembered Arceus' words to me:

 _'Hold on to that stake, Richard.'_

 _'Richard, do what you have to do to make it work.'_

I sent a mental message to Katie, 'Give me all of the Aura you can, now!'

She quickly placed he hand on my chest and delivered an insane amount of Aura. My veins seemed to squirm inside me and I got chills from the sheer power coursing through my body. I felt different, as if I was a new person. I felt like a Lucario. My eyes turned a shade of red as I shot up from the floor. I let out a battle cry as I unsheathed the stake from my pants. I sprinted towards Mew at the speed of sound and jabbed her head with it. Her blood spilled all over my body and the floor as she stopped floating and fell lifelessly to my feet. Alex was released from his torture and ran to his mother, barely maintaining his footing.

I had killed a God and I felt no remorse.

Yveltal went ballistic at my assassination and used Air Slash on me. He tore the front part of the house clean off, but I dodged it. Rage guided me straight towards Yveltal as I was ready to strike with the stake again, but he waited until I was close and used Sucker Punch. It hit me dead-on. I flew backwards and skidded on the grass. I got back up, but realized that my stake was no longer near me. Yveltal advanced towards me and I saw the stake behind him. 'This is where I die.' I thought to myself.

I braced for my ending, but it never came. I opened my eyes to see Zandra atop of Yveltal, holding the stake which was jabbed into his head. Yveltal's head shook and spasmed as the color drained from his eyes. Zandra jumped off of him as his head slammed into the ground.

Zandra said, "Y'know, I'm getting really sick and tired of bitches tryna kill us."

I chuckled and said, "Thanks, Zandra, you saved our lives."

Zandra looked at me and said, "It's what I do. After all, my name does mean 'the defender of mankind.'"

I smiled and got up, as my Aura powers began to fade. I ran over to Katie and Alex and hugged them tight. They returned the hug and I whispered to them and said, "I am so glad that you two are safe." Mew's blood smeared onto their fur in globs, but neither of them cared. I departed from the hug and stared into Katie's eyes.

'There's no time like the present.'


	12. XII: μ Under The Bridge

**XII: μ Under The Bridge**

"Katie, we share something special. A love that no one else rivals." I got down on a knee as I pulled out the box. Her eyes grew wide and she gasped. I opened the box and revealed to her the silver ring with the shimmering rubies on top. "Will you marry me?"

She exclaimed, _"Richard!"_ And she pulled out a similar box and opened it. _"I was about to ask you the same thing!"_

It was a silver ring with pure sapphires dotting it. It was beautiful. It wasn't too masculine, and it wasn't too feminine either. I smiled brightly, got up and pulled her close to me. Then we both said one word in unison:

"Yes."

We kissed and the group clapped. Alex was jumping for joy, as he finally had a father-figure in his life again. We broke the kiss and stared into each other's eyes. I said, "I love you." She responded with another kiss. She pumped everyone ounce of Aura she had left into it. We were irradiated with love.

The kiss broke and I took the ring from the box. She held out her soft paw and I slipped the ring onto her middle finger. I silently thanked Arceus and Mia that it fit. She took her ring out of her box and slid it onto my ring finger.

I chuckled and asked, "Did you ask Mia to go run to town and get a ring as well?"

he laughed and said, _"Yeah, I was going to propose after breakfast, but Mew kind of ruined it."_

We all looked down at the lifeless body of Mew.

I said, "This is a lesson to all who oppose integration." Katie smiled. "There's no use in getting married. Arceus already approves of us and I already feel married to you."

She nodded in agreement. All of a sudden, we were glowing white. We looked around at each other in astonishment. The next thing we knew, we were in a church. I had a tuxedo on and Katie had a beautiful white wedding gown on. I looked to my left and saw our group watching tentatively in the pews. I looked to my right and saw Arceus himself.

 _"Hello everyone. I felt a personal need to marry you two. I am going to make this short, as we have a lot of work to do to fix this mess that Mew has created."_ We both nodded. He continued, _"Do you, Katie, take Richard to be your husband?"_

Katie stared into my eyes and said, _"I do."_

And then Arceus said, _"Do you, Richard, take Katie to by your wife?"_

I looked right back at Katie and said the words that I was longing to say, "I do."

Arceus then said, _"You may kiss the bride."_

I pressed Katie up against my body and gave her the most loving kiss that I could. She returned it and sent Aura through my body. Our group once again clapped and cheered for us. We broke the kiss and held hands.

Again, we were enveloped in a white veil and transported elsewhere. We appeared back at the White House with Arceus. I still had my tux on but Katie had her dress tucked away in a protective plastic cover that she carried from a hook. He addressed the guards and informed them that Mew had died and that he was assuming rule.

He then faced towards me and said, _"Richard, I hope you don't mind, but we are moving the Washington Monument. I wanted that space for my home. I am recreating the room that you made for me."_

I was honored but I had to object, "Are you sure? That room was very dull."

He nodded in certainty. _"Oh, and another thing, I am gifting you all an exclusive hotel close to here. It is yours to keep. I'll teleport you all there right now. I'll see you in the morning."_

Before we knew it, we were at the entrance of the State Plaza Hotel. We walked in and were greeted by Pokémon butlers. I, of course, could not understand them, but Katie could and she said, _"No thank you, just ten rooms please."_

They complied and gave us all the most luxurious rooms. Katie and I got the penthouse. Somehow, the electricity in the building was working, which astonished all of us. We took the elevator up to the top and everyone entered their rooms. Katie and I entered ours to find an elegant kitchen, living room area, and in the back room, a ginormous bedroom with a breathtaking view of the White House and the surrounding city.

It was dinner time and Katie called for room service, which almost immediately arrived with meals fit for kings. The Scyther manning the cart with our food spoke to Katie, and she said a thanks in return and the Scyther left us alone to eat. One plate contained two cuts of filet mignon. Katie's mouth was watering at the sight of the steak and she dug in. I took small bites, wanting to savor the wonderful taste. It was heavenly compared to cereal. Once we finished our steaks, we moved on to the dessert. It was a chocolate cake with chocolate icing and a drizzle of hot fudge. It was my turn for my mouth to water.

Katie looked at me confusedly and asked, _"What is it?"_

I replied, "This is chocolate cake. Never had it?"

She shook her head.

I passed her the plate and said, _"Here, try it."_

She dug her fork into the side of it and took a cross-section of the cake. She put it in her mouth and chewed. Her face lit up as she tasted the chocolate.

I chuckled and said, "My face lights up when I eat chocolate, too." We both laughed and had a good time with our meals.

By the time we finished, it was about seven o'clock in the afternoon. I led Katie down to the lobby, where I sat her on a bench. I sat next to her and rested my hands on white keys jutting out from a table in front of me.

Katie seemed confused and I asked, "What? Never seen a piano before?"

She shook her head, and I demonstrated. I began to hit the keys and play my favorite piece. As soon as I started, Katie melted. She rested her head on my shoulder and let the sweet music fill her ears.

In a dream-like daze, she asked, _"What is this?"_

I replied with, "This is Beethoven's Piano Sonata Number 14 in C-sharp minor _'Quasi una fantasia,'_ Opus 27, Number 2, Movements 1, 2, and 3. Commonly known as Moonlight Sonata."

What I said had made no sense to her, as she had never heard of Beethoven before, or the crazy string of numbers that I spat out, but she listened intently nevertheless, becoming lost in the music that I was playing.

The first movement was slow and sad sounding, but its flow made Katie feel warm and at home, like she had been lost for so long and she had finally found her way back. Her eyes remained closed as she rested her head against my shoulder, absorbing the music that was ringing out from the piano.

Abruptly, the second movement began, which was upbeat and cheerful. This made Katie smile and she began to tap her feet to the beat. I became visibly more energetic with my keystrokes to portray happiness. She loved it. She loved the emotion being shown through a simple song. The movement reached its midway point and calmed down, to which Katie relaxed and melted into my shoulder again, as if in a trance. I felt bad for what was about to happen.

I finished the second movement and prepared for the third one. I slammed my hands into the keys and danced them on the keyboard in the fastest speed I could go. Katie jolted and stared at my hands as they whizzed across the keys. She could not believe how intense and fast I was playing. After a while, she began to feel the rhythm and fell into it, tapping her foot once again. The fast third movement was by far her favorite, and it was my favorite as well. The pure energy emanating from the music was enough to make you smile. She eventually began to clap along to the fast rhythm. She was in heaven. I had no idea that she loved music so much and I was honored to be the one to provide her with such joy. She fell in love with the musical rhythms and started to hum along, as if she had known the piece her whole life. The music became increasingly dramatic towards the end, as it was displaying true closure. It represented the closing of a rough period and the start of a new one. I increasingly played louder as I played the final run of notes as fast as I could, representing a 'hitting the ground running' feeling, then I slammed the final two chords dramatically and laid my hands beside me.

A roar of applause exploded from the lobby. I looked around me to see all of the butlers, my friends from our group, and Katie all clapping for me. Like any honorable musician, I stood to face them and bowed. Katie pulled me into a kiss.

When it broke, she said, _"Thank you. That was the most beautiful thing I have ever heard."_

I blushed and smiled at her compliment. It meant a lot to me. Playing music was a secret talent of mine and I was flattered that she appreciated it.

Alex ran up to me and hugged me. He said, _"That was amazing, Dad!"_

I smiled and rubbed his head. I replied with, "Thanks, Son."

Slow music started playing over the speakers, and I held out my hand to Katie, "Care to dance?"

She took it and we began to slow dance. She was wonderful at dancing, I presumed she learned it from her contests.

I stared into her eyes and said, "You look beautiful."

She smiled and said, _"And I've never seen a man quite as handsome as you."_

We danced for most of the night, until it was dark outside. Then, we stopped dancing and headed for the elevator.

On the ride up, Katie said, _"I've never felt so happy before in my life."_

I looked at her and said, "Let's not compare now to our past lives. Today, the world is completely different from what it was a week ago. I mean, you and I weren't even in the same universe! With Mew gone, now we can all live in peace—together. All that bullshit in our past, that's just water under the bridge, now. And you know who's floating in that stream of bullshit under that bridge?"

She laughed and said, _"Mew?"_

I smiled and said, "Yup, it's just mu under the bridge."

She laughed at my joke. I thought that that was fascinating: the fact that she had understood such a complex joke. Not many people knew that the Greek letter, μ, originated from an Egyptian glyph representing water. She was really smart, just like me.

As we approached our room, I prayed to Arceus. I asked for a child. I asked for a new chance. I asked for a new future through this child. With that, Katie put a 'Do Not Disturb' sign on the door and closed it. That night, it was just her and I.


	13. XIII: What Praying Brings

**XIII: What Praying Brings**

In the months that followed our wedding, my family and I travelled the world, advocating for coexistence. Our example was us: our relationship and love for one another. Another example was Katie. She was pregnant. We used it as an example of how humans and Pokémon can truly be together, as one people. To me, the baby was a gift from Arceus. To her, the baby was a gift from me.

During our travels, we have met many unique people and Pokémon. Some inspired us with their stories and experiences while other people and Pokémon were rotten and evil. Some didn't want integration at all. But our campaign continued because we wouldn't give in. With the help of Arceus, we visited many cities in nearly every country. Countries, now called regions are more codependent than ever. Living under one ruler has really improved the relations between the world's regions.

Arceus was, and still is, a true legend. He not only took up the challenging job of taking care of the universe but he also filled in for Mew, protecting Pokémon. Now, Arceus is the God of Life. He is one of the most capable and forward-thinking leaders the world has ever seen.

Our group members were all appointed into government positions as well. Katie and I were both given the joint position of Secretary of State, and I was also appointed as the Secretary of Education. The new world was refreshing. No more real conflict. No more wars. just one united world.

The power and water was restored to the entire world and life returned, more or less, back to normal. Katie and I worked hard to bring peace and stability to the world, and for the most part, we succeeded. We helped establish a worldwide currency, the Poké, and we opened up revamped schools around the world. Immediately after I was appointed as the Secretary of Education, I made it a requirement that all Pokémon attended schools to learn English and take a standard test to prove their fluency. Afterwards, the new schools taught young people and Pokémon what you would normally learn about in school, but also about Pokémon and the need for our friendship. When I was the head of the committee helping to plan out the curriculum, I purposefully left out how our world was different from the 'old world,' as I felt that in a few generations, it wouldn't matter anyway. Nowadays, speaking of the old world is taboo. I guess that I can only blame myself for that.

As much as I preach about how the past is water under the bridge, I can't help but feel guilt every day. So many people and Pokémon, across both the old Pokémon universe and this one, have died from my work. But, then I would think of Katie and our baby. It gave me hope. I always thought, 'What will our child look like?' I tried to imagine it, but Lucario features were a little challenging to imagine on a human. However, my wife has told me that on the day I killed Mew, I looked like a Lucario. We think that it was my rage and the Aura that did it. She has told me that even through my rage, I looked handsome with my temporary Lucario features. Little compliments like that were always my favorite. It was a morale booster.

For a couple of months, I meditated with my wife. I was determined to unlock the secrets of Aura within me, but it never came. Then, I tried to meditate as Katie blasted Aura into my body. It kind of worked, as when I opened my eyes, my irises became crimson and I could read Aura. The world around me would be tinged blue and I could see the emotions of everyone around. It would fade within minutes. It was disheartening, but I couldn't complain. I am just a human after all.

Near the time that Katie was supposed to give birth, we were at a public panel in my hometown in Ohio. At the end, a baby Snivy waddled up to us and stretches his hands up to me. In them, he held a gift. I smiled at the child, said thank you, and took it from his hands. He replied with, _"Snivy!"_ in a cheerful tone and then rushed back to his parents. His stepfather was a human and his mother was a Serperior. I couldn't help but think of my son, Alex. He was so much like the Snivy; he was just a kid in a strange, new world. I also saw myself in the stepfather; I wasn't the only one to love a Pokémon.

Katie whispered to me, _"The Snivy said, 'No, thank you.'"_

I smiled and looked down at the gift, it was a pendant necklace. It's chain was not elegant, but more rough and rustic. It almost looked like a shoelace, but it wasn't. The pendant itself was an old American Penny. I looked closely at it to see Abraham Lincoln and the date. 2000: the year that I was born. It was a truly old penny—ancient in fact, seeing as we didn't use them anymore. Something within me fell in love with that penny. I began to brainstorm how to make use of it, and only one option made sense in my mind.

That night, I went to Arceus' office and asked him to bless it. He nodded, closing his eyes and concentrating on what was suspended around my palm. I watched the pendent in my hand, almost expecting it to levitate off of my hand, glow brightly, and spin violently. However, nothing happened. I looked up to Arceus as his eyes opened.

He exhaled and said, _"Whoever wears this will be protected against all evil. They will receive my personal protection."_ I smiled brightly and thanked him. It was music to my ears.

On May 29, 2038, Katie went into labor. I rushed her to the hospital, where she delivered our beautiful baby boy. Alex was so happy to have a brother and Katie and I were ecstatic that we were able to have a child together. He was so tiny and cute. He was human, but his eyes said something different about him. He had my face, but Katie's beautiful ruby eyes. He was truly special.

Katie smiled and said, _"This is our child, Richard, but this is your first. So, I want you to name him."_

I was shocked. We had agreed that we would think of a name together once he or she was born. I thought for a second, and then suggested, "Aaron Arceus Jonas."

Katie smiled and nodded as she held our son in her arms. This signalled the true restart of our lives.

In the years following, Katie and I resigned from our government positions and my family and I moved to Ohio. Our group did the same and became our neighbors. We called our hotel in Washington, D.C. 'Hotel Aaron' and all of our money came from there—Katie and I never had to work again.

Aaron grew up just like I had: independent. Early on, I was convinced that he was exactly like I was as a child, but Katie and I quickly discovered that he was not completely human. He was very strong and fast and ruby eyes shone vibrantly, easily standing out wherever he was. We didn't know what to expect when we found out that our son was a hybrid. This never changed our love for him—if anything, it made our love for him stronger.

Alex moved out of the house and found a new life in Washington, D.C. We gave him the keys to the hotel and asked him to run it, which he was delighted to. He was such a mature, young Lucario. Aaron desperately wanted to be like his brother when he got older, as Aaron discovered that Alex was his role model.

The more Aaron grew, the more he became like a Riolu. He was able to use primitive attacks, as a Riolu would. He also had the ability to talk to Pokémon, like his mother, in their native tongues. As he began to mature, I decided that it was time to give him something. I had held onto the blessed pendant for years, and I felt that it was time for Aaron to have it. On his thirteenth birthday—May 29, 2051—I gave it to him, but I never told him that as long as he wore it, Arceus would protect him. He didn't know anything about it, but I told him to wear it all the time and to protect it with his life. Up until that point, he had known little to nothing about Katie and I's experiences.

We told him little, for his protection, but today, I regret that.

Unfortunately, the world peace didn't last. Peace never lasts. People and Pokémon brought back up who I was and what I had done. I was faced with the hardest decision of my life: Stay with my family and risk their health, or disappear. One night, shortly after Aaron's thirteenth birthday, I told Katie my decision and kissed her goodbye. She hated me for leaving her, and I hated myself more for not being able to stay. The last I remember of her face was anger and sadness as I left our bedroom. I entered Aaron's room, but he was sound asleep. I walked over to his bed in the darkness and kissed his forehead. With that, I left everything that I loved.

I sought asylum in a strange place: Washington, D.C. I changed my appearance and concealed my past identity. The only one who knows who I am now is Arceus, who frequently speaks with me in my mind. He offered me protection, but I refused. I had to pay for my sins. The only way that I could do that is to have nothing to love and nothing to care about. I was and since have been adamant on punishing myself. At this point, I am widely considered to be dead.

Who knows, perhaps you, reader, will see me wandering the streets at night, cloaked by my faux appearance and absent as a corpse. Feel free to walk up and talk to me, but I cannot guarantee you that will be replied to.

Now, for the purpose of this journal or story. I am not completely sure. I can assure you, though, that this was not to my benefit to write this. It does, however, serve a fine lesson for all who read: don't get too big for your britches.

There are two reasons why I will put this journal on the top of the Lincoln Memorial. For one, if Aaron ever flips his pendant to the back and sees the building, I can only hope that he will come and read this. Only time will tell. Second, it serves as a sullen reminder that injustice is immortal. Injustices like slavery will always loop back to the forefront, like a clock strikes twelve. Injustice will always and forever live on like a chronic disease in the brains of humanity and Pokémon alike, in one form or another.

I think about the past all the time, even though it has been my hopes and dreams to forget about it. I think about Katie, Alex, and Aaron constantly, even though I know that I will never see them again. I think about how my life could be different, even though nothing I ever do will change where I am today. I look back to the past and I feel deep regrets. I look forward to the future and see menacing fog, laced with certainties of death. These views blind me from the terrible truth that there is only now.

Every day, I pray to Arceus that our dream of integration stays alive. Every day, I pray to Arceus for my family and friend's safety. Every day, I pray to Arceus to let me somehow see them all again. But all I can do now is pray.

Sure, I had graduated top of my class in high school and got my doctorate in biology two years after that, as well as a masters degree in education, but after all, I am just some old man who destroyed his own life and now camouflages himself within the shadows of D.C.

Look where all of that got me.

 _Fin._

* * *

The young man closed the journal and clutched at something hanging around his neck. He rubbed the copper and zinc object and closed his crimson eyes, deep in thought. Most of his life, he was ignorant of his past or the life of his parents. He had always felt shut out and confused, constantly struggling to find his purpose in life. So long, it had taken him to discover the truth. But he felt that it was all worth it in that moment.

He had finally found what he was looking for, in a sense.

His father.


	14. Chapter One: Miss the Missing

**The Project Integration Saga**  
 **Volume Two: Assimilation Acquired**

 **Chapter One: Miss the Missing**

 _Quick footsteps echoed throughout the hall outside the door. They faded to silence as a new sound cut its way through the air. It was the faint, soft, weeping of a heartbroken woman who knew full well that that moment would come but was never brave enough to face the fact._

Aaron awoke in an abnormal way. It was a Wednesday, so he was expecting for his father to wake him up for school, but when his eyes fluttered opened, he was greeted by loneliness. In confusion, the teen groggily glanced beyond his bed at his clock perched upon his nightstand. The clock read six o'clock sharp, meaning that he had still awoken promptly on time. He raised himself up off of the bed to have his eyes wander his room. There was no sign of his father, who would have opened his door, turned on the light, and greeted him.

Shrugging it off, Aaron kicked his feet from the bed to have them dangle off of the side. He pushed off and stood up. Letting out a yawn, he slowly walked over to his door and opened it. He exited his bedroom and glanced down both ends of the hall, almost expecting to see his mother or his father there, but neither of them were. He continued down the hall and entered a bathroom where he brushed his teeth and took a shower. Once he finished, he left the bathroom and returned to his room to get dressed, and ready for the school day. He put on a blue t-shirt and black athletic shorts, his school colors. He then went over to his nightstand, picked up the necklace his father gave him, and put it around his neck. Finding his long, messy hair to still be too wet, he blow-dried it. He didn't particularly like to blow-dry his hair, as it would puff up and seem more thick than it already was. It would also make his brown hair shine extraordinarily, giving the false impression of using hair gel. Nevertheless, he slipped on some black sneakers, grabbed his backpack from the corner of his bedroom, and headed downstairs to his kitchen for breakfast.

Normally, his mother, a beautiful Lucario who he shared his eyes with, would be awaiting him with a warm cup of coffee, toast, and a smile on her maw. But that day, she was not there. Aaron took it as strange that neither of his parents were around during their normal time. 'I wonder if they slept in on accident…' With his thought, he raced back upstairs and went towards his parents' bedroom at the end of the hall. He slowly opened the door and peeked through. Only a dark, empty room greeted him. He went in, nevertheless, to get a closer look at their bed. He noticed a small slip of paper lying on his mother's side. He picked it up, only to discover that some parts of it were somewhat dampened. He read the smudged scribbles to himself in confusion:

Aaron,

I am looking for your father. I don't know when I will be back. Please take care of the house while I'm away. I called your school to inform them that you will not be going. Please, don't get into any trouble while I'm gone. We are already in enough trouble as is.

Your mommy,  
Katie

Aaron reread the paper to fully grasp the situation. 'Dad's missing? What did he do?' Aaron thought as he sat down on the side of the bed. His imaginative mind raced with scenarios of where his parents were. He snapped out of it when he remembered that he was excused from school for the day. His mood brightened slightly as he had the entire day to himself. He bolted out of the bedroom, ran down the stairs, and leaped out of the back door and into his backyard. He finally had more time to train.

Since he was young, he and his family knew that he was special, and it wasn't just his ruby eyes that gave it away. As Aaron grew, he began to naturally learn things that a Riolu would, despite him looking like a human. He learned Quick Attack almost from birth and his latest accomplishment was unlocked through heavy training. He had learned Force Palm. He remembered how proud his parents were of him that day. Aaron walked over to the large oak tree that was in the yard, sat down, and began to meditate. His older brother, Alex, had told him that meditation is the key to unlocking one's true power. Aaron's body began to glow a faint blue as the calm summer breeze began to pick up. The sun was rising, staining the fluffy clouds orange and purple. The breeze made Aaron's shirt flow calmly in the wind and his hair to swing wildly. But nothing broke his concentration.

He sat under the tree, meditating for hours as the early morning turned to day. When Aaron arose from his meditation, he stood and faced the oak tree. He closed his ruby eyes and placed his hands together, channeling his power. He radiated determination. His eyes shot open, revealing the two glowing red orbs as he took his hand and shot the tree with a beam of light. The light slammed against the tree, making a booming sound. He had grown exponentially stronger from the last time he had used Force Palm. He smiled to himself, as his Force Palm faded, leaving a deep notch in the tree. He knew he was growing more powerful.

All of a sudden, his neighbor flew out of her house and into his backyard.

The bird rushed towards Aaron and exclaimed, _"My goodness, Aaron! What are you doing here causing a ruckus in your yard?! You should be at school!"_

Aaron smiled at the Staraptor and said, "It's kind of difficult to explain, Aunt Mia. Here, I'll show you." Aaron pulled the note from his pocket and handed it to the Pokémon.

She read it and concluded with, _"Oh, dear! I hope that they are alright! If you need anything, Aaron, I'll be right next door."_ Aaron nodded and the Predator Pokémon lovingly hugged him and flew off. She left with saying, _"Try not to make too much of a racket, honey. Some of us are still sleeping."_

Aaron called to her and said, "Alright, Aunt Mia!" He returned inside, content with his training session.

He spent the rest of the midday in his living room, playing his favorite video game. He was not the kind of kid who liked the newer virtual reality games. Aaron fell in love with old-school game consoles and devices. His father, a technological genius and self-proclaimed video game nerd, had set up an emulator within a heavily modified Raspberry Pi micro computer and hooked it up to the flatscreen. It only had one working game, which his father had introduced him to when he was ten years old. It was called 'Pokémon: Special Pikachu Edition.' Aaron couldn't help but see parallels between the game and the real world, but he never questioned it, as he mainly just enjoyed the gameplay. He was curious as to why someone would make a game about real life, though. He also had a particular curiosity as to why someone would be so cruel as to enslave a Pokémon and make them fight. He remembered his father explaining that the original copies of the games had suddenly ceased to operate due to a 'change.' What Aaron never learned was what that change was.

His father often gave him pointers and tips on how to be 'the very best, like no one ever was.' That was often a quote that his father would use when teaching Aaron how to train Pokémon. Aaron was always astonished at how knowledgeable his father was at this video game world, as if he had lived and breathed it his entire life. Aaron picked up on the tips well. He learned the move effectivenesses, and which Pokémon would hold an advantage against others. Aaron, like his father, became quite the Pokémon genius. He was, however, deeply saddened that the game did not have Riolu and Lucario in it.

At around three o'clock, Aaron felt a vibration in his pocket. He opened the menu in his game and reached into it, pulling out his smartphone. He read the number and answered it.

"Hello?"

A female voice came through and said, "Hey, Aaron! Where were you today?"

Aaron sighed and said, "I can't really say, but I'll be back at school soon. Hey, wanna hang out?"

The girl responded with, "Sure! Come on over!"

Aaron hung up and saved his game. He shut off the television and headed out of the front door.

He walked two blocks down the street to his friend's house. Her house was not nearly as big as his, but it was still a reasonable size. He knocked on the door and it opened. He was greeted by a thirteen year old girl with green eyes and blonde hair. Her hair was up in a headband, like it always was. She smiled and told Aaron to come in.

Aaron stepped in and asked, "So, what do you want to do, Sam?"

The girl, Samantha, replied with, "I was thinking that we could go walk around the city for a little bit; maybe grab something to eat." Aaron nodded and they left for the city.

Their surroundings fazed from a quiet neighborhood into a bustling downtown area as they walked. People and Pokémon flooded the streets and cars clogged the busy roads like they were sickly arteries. Sam and Aaron knew their way around the city. It was their favorite place to retreat to when they had free time. They were both heavily independent people from a young age, and they would always wander off from home from time to time on quiet strolls. Aaron was simple in that way. It never took much for him to be entertained or happy. Aaron actually met Sam in the city, as they ended up running into each other, quite literally. They got to talking and discovered that they lived fairly close to each other. Since then, their friendship had only grown.

They walked through the busy city in search for somewhere to dine at. They knew their options like the back of their hand. Aaron wasn't particularly hungry and neither was Sam, but Sam just wanted a reason to be with him. Aaron was a particularly oblivious teenager, who never grasped the concept of romance. Sam had loved him for a few months by then, but she was waiting until they were older to admit her emotions.

Eventually, the two stumbled upon an ice cream shop, Vanilluxe's Treats. Aaron opened the door and the bell attached to it answered with a fairly high pitched jingle. The two entered and ordered their favorite, a Chocolate Peanut Butter Pokéball Sundae. They paid the joyful Vanilluxe and took a seat in a booth by the store windows with their sundaes.

While they were eating, a Staraptor and a Zoroark entered the store. Aaron looked at the pair in surprise.

Aaron broke his conversation with Sam and shouted, "Hey, Aunt Mia! Hi, Lilah!"

The two new arrivals turned to a waving Aaron sitting at a booth and gave him a wave back. Aaron's 'aunt' ordered her and her adopted daughter's ice cream while Lilah came over to Aaron and Sam's table. Aaron had always referred to Mia as an aunt due to his mother being so close to Mia in the past, although he knew no details of the relationship. Mia had adopted Lilah when Mia found her abandoned on the streets of Washington, D.C. years ago. Upon Lilah's arrival at the booth, Sam made a faint groan in her mouth. Sam never particularly took a liking to Lilah, as she viewed her as competition. Lilah was tall and had very long hair. Her hair was blood-red for the most part, but it also had dark gray in it.

 _"Hey guys! Aaron, where were you today? I looked everywhere for you."_

Aaron sighed and simply said, "Ask Aunt Mia, she might tell you."

Lilah shrugged off the vague and mysterious response and returned to her mother.

Sam spoke up and said, "I think we should head out and go back to my house. I got a cool new game yesterday!"

Reluctantly, Aaron agreed. They finished up their sundaes and Aaron said goodbye to Mia and Lilah while Sam quickly left the shop. Aaron followed and caught up to her. They walked back to her house in silence.

On the walk back, Aaron began to think about how much Sam knew about him. He discovered that there wasn't much. She knew his father, the genius and mastermind behind the education system. She knew him, a thirteen year old boy with an 'eye disorder.' She had no clue about his other side. The dominant genes within him portrayed him as a human, like his father. What Sam didn't know was that Aaron was also part Pokémon. Sam had met Aaron's mother before, but assumed that she was not the biological mother, and never brought it up with him. He was astonishingly gifted at hiding his abilities, as his father always advocated to him that he should hide his powers, but the reason of doing so was unknown to Aaron.

Eventually, night had fallen and Aaron returned home from Sam's house. His parents were still missing. With every draining second, Aaron became more worried for his mother and father. That night, as his head rested on his soft pillow in the darkness of his bedroom, his mind flooded with memories of his family. How his father would always play video games with him and help him with homework, how his mother would always care for him and fill his life with smiles, and how his brother would always teach him how to train and become stronger. His ruby eyes slowly shut and his breathing slowed as his thoughts absorbed his consciousness and dragged it to the dream world.


	15. Chapter Two: The Presence of Isolation

**Chapter Two: The Presence of Isolation**

Aaron once again awoke to the ambiance of darkness. His ruby eyes focused in on the corner of the room, where he felt a presence. All was silent as Aaron stared at the corner, shrouded in darkness. Then, a menacing pair of blue irises emerged, distinguishing itself from its black surroundings. The figure owning the eyes stepped towards Aaron from the shadows. Aaron was horrified, shaking violently, lying in his bed while he was staring at the beast in horror. He recognized the beast and calmed down as he found that it was just Lilah, the Zoroark. Aaron was about to ask how she got into his room when the Zoroark suddenly shed her skin completely and revealed a big, tall man. The man had slightly spiked-up blue hair and gray-blue eyes to match it. His face embodied pure evil and his expression was stone cold, showing no remorse for his despicable fantasies of causing pain. Aaron was once again filled with terror, as he could sense evil radiating off of the man. Then, the menacing man shed his skin once again to reveal as slightly shorter, but equally as muscular man with crazy brown hair. The eyes remained the same, stern and blue. It was Aaron's father. His father approached the bed and sat on it, ending up beside Aaron, who was too shocked to move. His father never smiled, he just maintained eye contact with Aaron, who was as confused as ever. Aaron attempted to ask, 'Where have you been?' but it came out as, "Where are you?" This confused Aaron, as he hadn't meant to ask it that way, but his father simply closed his eyes and turned to ashes in front of him, leaving Aaron alone in the darkness.

The walls of his bedroom began to move, slowly closing Aaron in. Aaron panicked as all of his furniture in the room was funneling in closer to his bed. His dresser snapped and exploded, throwing wood shrapnel and clothes every which way. Aaron covered his head with his arms and hands, rather having the wood pierce his arms than his face. His television turned on, as the wall it was mounted to crept closer to Aaron. The television showed a news report of a tall building burning to the ground. Aaron couldn't make out the words that were accompanying the footage; they were blurred out for some reason. The television turned off and the walls destroyed it, creating a spontaneous fire, much like the one on the television. The fire engulfed the bed that Aaron was laying on. Aaron watched in horror as the fire quickly spread to the advancing walls and onto his body. He felt the flames lick and peel at his skin. Much like the shedding monster from earlier, he too was shedding, as the fire ate away his skin. Aaron screamed, but no sound came out. Only the crackling of the fire filled the room. At that point, all Aaron wanted was to die. The pain and agony was too much. He closed his eyes and let the walls advance on his charred body, eventually letting it crumble and break his bed from all sides and squish his body like a pancake.

Aaron shot up from his bed. He was panting heavily, gasping for air. He was sweating profusely, but felt cold and clammy. His ruby eyes darted around his room. Nothing was out of place or out of the ordinary. 'It was a dream,' he thought, calming down. He looked over at the clock, which read eleven-thirty. 'Well, I guess I'm not going to school today, either,' Aaron thought as he got out of bed. He was shaken by his dream. Aaron didn't get fearful from it though. What he got out of it was determination to be stronger; to not feel the pain and fear that he had ever again. Aaron didn't even bother to take a morning shower like he normally did, or get dressed for the day. Instead, he went downstairs and out the backdoor to his yard in just athletic shorts. Aaron sat in his normal spot under the tree in a lotus pose. He shut his eyes and steadily breathed, letting go of his thoughts and apprehensions. His mind went blank as he focused on breathing in a slow and steady rhythm.

Midday fazed into early afternoon as Aaron sat peacefully meditating, strengthening his powers all the while. He was determined to meditate longer than he ever had before, making sure that whatever happened in his dream would not affect him. The summer sun beamed down on his idle body, avoiding the overarching branches of the tree. The rays hit his body and he began to sweat. Nothing could stop him, though. He had already meditated for three hours, he was determined to continue until he couldn't anymore. Hours passed and his skin baked in the sunlight, giving his body a reasonable tan.

At around four thirty, a sudden shifting in the grass in front of him caused Aaron's focus to temporarily falter. He snapped out of his meditation and shot his eyes open. They burned with energy, power, and anger at whatever distracted him. His eyes fell upon a smug looking Zoroark who seemed to be lost in thought while staring at Aaron. She was laying on her stomach with her head propped up in her hands. Her feet swung playfully behind her. Aaron's sudden consciousness caught her off guard and she quickly got up to run and hide from him. Before she could, Aaron was up on his feet and held the Zoroark in place.

Aaron asked firmly, "Lilah, why were you watching me meditate?"

Lilah blushed and said, _"Uh, no reason. I just wandered into your yard wondering where you were."_ She chuckled nervously, trying to avoid eye contact. _"Looks like I've found you."_

Aaron let go of her and Lilah left Aaron alone, scurrying back to her house next door. Aaron let go of his anger and instead spent his energy on focusing it into his hands. He let out a powerful dual Force Palm towards the tree. The light ate through the bark and drilled a large concave indent, larger than the gash from the day before.

Aaron was quite satisfied at how much he had improved from just the day before. He returned into the house and took a much needed shower. At that point, the nightmare he had was no longer prevalent in his mind. Instead, the thought of being utterly alone in his house was in the forefront. 'I miss them…' he sullenly thought. He missed talking to someone, eating a meal with someone, being taken care of by someone. He was, after all, just a child. But that was fading.

Aaron had spent hours debating on what to do henceforth. Should he keep waiting, or accept the fact that he was on his own? That night, as he was eating microwavable spaghetti alone at his kitchen table, he decided that he would wait one more day. After he had finished his meal, he headed upstairs and decided to go to bed early. He had a feeling that the next day would be a long one for him. What he didn't know was that with every second spent idle, the world was progressively creeping into darkness.

* * *

His slumber was plagued by loneliness. His subconscious was dreamless, and his sleep was quiet. That wasn't necessarily a bad thing, as it surely trumped a nightmare of the calibre of the night before. He eventually arose from his monotonous sleep and rubbed his eyes. He still felt tired, but he got up from bed and headed to the bathroom to get ready for whatever he was preparing for. He didn't know what exactly he was preparing for, but felt it necessary to prepare nevertheless, leaving his body to be guided by his paranoid mind. As his shower ended and he dressed for the day, he chose clothes that were easy to move around in; a form-fitting red polyester t-shirt and black athletic shorts. He then went downstairs and had some toast for breakfast. He couldn't help but feel sad at something about his meal. He felt as if it would be his last in his home. He took every bite like each meant something different to him; a different memory, a different time, a different emotion. When the last bite came, it meant anger. For what reason, Aaron could not pinpoint. He told himself, "Alright, I need to calm down before I do something I could regret." He got up from the table and walked out of the back door. What did he always do when he was enraged? He meditated.

Aaron sat underneath the large oak tree, this time, with more purpose and meaning than the previous times. He entered his concentrated state, where all that mattered was his steady breathing. But something else mattered to him. For the first time, Aaron's meditation was not pure. It was filled with thoughts, emotions, and feelings. The insane mix of it all only fueled Aaron's concentration on meditating. This pool of feelings inside of his brain amalgamated into an alloy of pure emotion and after two hours, his eyes shot open and he was pulled back into the world. For some reason, his eyes were not necessarily ruby, but they were a darker crimson. They burned with a fire. Aaron let out a gut wrenching battle cry as he charged his hands. Instead of a white beaming light, a swirling blue ball of energy formed in his hands, complete with a white singularity in the middle. None of this affected Aaron, instead he watched himself materialize the growing energy in his hands and he launched it straight at the tree. The powerful ball jumped from his hand and slammed into the oak tree with incredible strength. A loud boom rang out, followed by a curtain of smoke and snapping noises. As the smoke cleared, Aaron saw the oak tree that he had been training on and under for his whole life crash to the earth violently. The blue sphere he had created decimated the trunk of the tree, effectively incinerating it. Aaron eyed his work. He was both sad that his training spot was ruined and proud that he had grown so fast. He slowly smiled to himself. His inner Pokémon, the other half of him, had evolved. The blue energy that formed in his palm was an Aura Sphere. He was now a Human-Lucario hybrid.

Aaron knew that it was time. He went back into his house, ran up the stairs, and entered his room. He took his school bag and dumped its now meaningless contents onto the floor. He left a pencil, a pen, and a notebook in it, but everything else was irrelevant. He packed his phone charger, deodorant, a toothbrush and toothpaste, toilet paper, and multiple pairs of clothes. He placed his phone and wireless earbuds in one bag pocket and his wallet in the other. He went around the house scavenging for spare money laying around. He eventually gathered around one thousand Poké, which was a lot of money, but it seemed like nothing when compared to his family's wealth. He slipped on his tennis shoes over his short black socks and went to leave his house. Right as he reached for the front door's doorknob, Aaron hesitated. He thought about his life. All he had ever known would be left behind as soon as he stepped out. As a means to buy time for himself in his old life, he tried to think of anything he had forgotten. He then remembered that there was one thing he needed. He went back to his room upstairs and walked to his nightstand. Resting upon it, was a necklace with a copper-zinc alloy. The alloy rested within a locket-esque holder. He picked it up and placed it around his neck. He then took out his notebook and a pencil from his bag. He flipped to the first page and began writing:

 _Dear Mom and Dad,_

 _You have been gone for awhile now, and I feel that you both will be gone for a while longer. When you come back, please call me and I'll be sure to visit. But for now, it is time for me to do something with my life. You both know that school has never been a problem for me, as I already know everything from Dad's lessons as a child. My next stop in my life is D.C. I'm going to find Alex and become reacquainted with him after so many years._

 _Please do not be sad or feel that this is your fault. I might not know much about why you both are gone, but don't think for a second that I do not love both of you._

Aaron thought for a second about what to write next. He then thought of how lonely he would be on the journey and decided to add:

 _I am asking Sam and Lilah to join me. I know, it is selfish of me to drag my friends into my life like this, but I have had a hard time being alone in the house recently and I can only imagine what it would be like to travel alone. So if they accept, that is where we will be. Don't worry about us, I can protect them. This morning, I evolved. Well, my Pokémon half did. I am stronger than ever before and can easily execute attacks now. I guess that I have you two to thank for that so…_

 _Thank you for everything._

 _Love,_

 _Aaron_

Aaron set the paper down on the kitchen counter and checked the time on his phone. It was about four thirty. 'Good, school's out now.' Aaron put his bag on and headed, once again, to the front door. Aaron took hold of the doorknob and turned it. The white door gave way to a white afternoon. He stole one final look at his home and closed the door behind him.

Aaron walked to Aunt Mia's house, which was right next door, and scaled the side of the brick outer wall up to a window. Aaron was straining to hold on, but he then felt his body pump a newfound energy into his muscles which made climbing feel like an easy task. He got up to the window and saw a familiar Zoroark sitting in the room on her laptop. Aaron rapped on the glass and awaited for Lilah to open it, but she didn't move. Aaron sighed as he realized that she had in wireless earbuds. Gripping a slightly protruding brick with one hand, he used the other to pull out his phone and he texted Lilah, "Open the window." Lilah picked her phone up off of the desk by her laptop and read it. Her eyes darted to the window where Aaron was hanging, who waved at her from the other side of the glass. Lilah visibly blushed and slammed her laptop closed. She walked over to the window and opened it, allowing for Aaron to climb in.

He did and asked, "What are you blushing at?"

She quickly replied with, _"Oh! Nothing! Don't worry about it."_

Aaron was not one to pry, so he dropped it and got straight to the point. "Lilah, I'm leaving Ohio. I'm heading to Washington, D.C. I came here to ask if you'd like to go with me. You would have to leave Aunt Mia, though."

Her blush deepened, as she felt that his request was very heartfelt and romantic in a way, although Aaron never intended for it to be. She instantly said, _"I would love to! Just let me get some stuff ready."_

Aaron accepted and added that she should leave a note for his aunt, like he had for his mother and father.

Once she was ready, Aaron jumped out of the window and rolled into the landing. Lilah peeked her head out of the window and gaze down at the boy incredulously.

 _"Aaron, I am afraid to jump. That's a long way down."_

Aaron thought and called back up, "That's alright! I'll catch you! Don't worry, just jump!"

She thought and decided that she trusted him. She got up onto the windowsill and dangled her legs out. She sighed nervously and let go, having her body free fall down to her friend. Aaron extended his arms and found a Zoroark, safe and sound, hanging in his gentle hands. Lilah gasped at his touch on her hips and stomach, where he had caught her. Aaron slowly lowered Lilah to the ground and removed his hands. They both blushed and smiled at each other. They said nothing as they walked together towards Sam's house.

They eventually made it to Sam's house and Aaron once again climbed up to her bedroom window. Lilah patiently waited at ground level, staring up at the strong display Aaron was unknowingly making. He tapped on the glass and looked at Sam, who was reclining in a chair reading a book. She looked surprised to see him and quickly opened the window. Once inside, Aaron explained what his plans were, exactly as he did at Lilah's house.

Instead of agreeing, Sam asked, "Who else is coming? Or is it just you and me?"

Aaron replied with, "Lilah's coming too."

Sam rolled her eyes and scoffed at the mention of the name.

Aaron asked confusedly, "What's the matter? I thought that you two were friends."

Sam replied irritatedly, "That's what _she_ thinks. Why can't we just go alone?"

Aaron frowned and grew serious. "Sam, we are a package deal. If you want to come travel with me, you can, but Lilah is coming as well. That's final."

Sam huffed and began to pack.

Once she was finished, Aaron once again jumped from the window. It wasn't as far of a drop, as Sam's house was a lot shorter in terms of the inner rooms' heights. Aaron got ready for Sam to jump, but Sam just stood up at her window looking down on the two.

Aaron called, "Don't worry, I'll catch you!"

Sam laughed and said, "I can do it myself, Aaron. Now please move so I don't fall on you."

Aaron did as he was told and backed away. Sam descended and landed firmly on her feet. She straightened up and brushed herself off.

"So, you two, ready to go?" Sam asked in a triumphant tone.

Aaron was slightly perturbed that Sam did not accept his help. He never felt good when his assistance was rejected. Meanwhile, Lilah was jealous at how independent Sam was. Lilah always needed someone to be there for her to help her. Lilah hated it when she was alone as an orphan. Ever since she was found by Mia, she has had one fear. Being alone.

The trio set out towards Washington, D.C. with a sense of adventure boiling in their veins. Aaron felt rather excited, as his new life was beginning. He honestly saw himself graduating high school and attending a college eventually, but never had he imagined that his new, independent life would come at thirteen years of age.

What Aaron didn't know was that if he would have just waited a bit longer until dusk at his house, he would have seen a familiar and exhausted Lucario stumble into the kitchen and wrap him up in a loving embrace. Katie had missed her son by mere hours.


	16. Chapter Three: Unsure Identity

**Chapter Three: Unsure Identity**

The trio—Aaron, Sam, and Lilah—decided that it would be best to rest in downtown before they headed out. As they entered a hotel, people and Pokémon began to stare at them. Aaron ignored the attention, but the two girls felt uncomfortable as the glares of the mass of adults drilled holes into their skulls. Aaron led the two girls up to the hotel counter and instinctively flashed his I.D. at the woman behind the desk. Her eyebrows raised in surprise and she nodded, handing the Aaron key-cards to three different hotel rooms. Aaron smiled and took them. Lilah and Sam were astonished at the commanding nature of Aaron. _'How did he just get those keys without even a word spoken?'_ Lilah thought as she stared at him in awe. Aaron was used to privilege and thought nothing of the ordeal. Aaron turned to the two and handed them their respective room-keys. The two took them, unable to speak a word.

The three slept soundly, but back at Aaron's house, a distraught Lucario wept as she read the note from her son over and over again. She held her phone in her hand, and it was ringing with the number of her son on it. It kept ringing, but then cut off, going to voicemail. She tried again. And again. And again. Her son never answered. Instead, she turned on her Aura Vision and scanned the surroundings for her son's Aura. She expanded her gaze for miles until she fell upon a dormant Aura resting in a building. She wiped her tears, increased her speed, and dashed out of her house and towards Aaron.

Aaron had been asleep, with his phone by his side on the nightstand. It had died on the way to the hotel and he had forgotten to plug it in. His chest slowly raised up, and then fell rhythmically as he slowly breathed. A loud banging snapped Aaron out of his slumber and he jolted upwards. His eyes became large spheres of ruby, as he was shocked and startled by the sudden clatter. He waited for the noise again and soon heard fervent banging. He traced the sound to the hotel door. He slowly got up and walked to it, peering through the eyehole. He found a beautiful Lucario impatiently waiting at the door with a worried face. Aaron quickly threw the door opened and hugged his mother. Katie gasped at the sudden gesture and returned his embrace. They both stood in the hallway, hugging for a decent amount of time before they broke from each other. Katie led Aaron into the hotel room and closed the door behind them. Aaron sat on the bed and Katie followed suit, finding a spot right next to him.

Katie sighed and said, _"I know that it must've been hard for you to be alone the past few days. But I want you to know that I am proud of you. You astonishingly grew into a strong, young Lucario while I was away and I could not be prouder of how much you have trained."_ Her eyes closed and she sighed once again.

She then reopened her ruby eyes and continued, _"Dad is still missing. I couldn't find him. I tried to use my Aura, but I couldn't sense him. I looked everywhere in the state."_ She dejectedly stared down at the floor and sighed. _"Anyway, I feel that it's about time you know a little bit about your father and I."_

Aaron was saddened at his father's disappearance but sat up in anticipation to what his mother was about to tell him.

 _"Your father and I met under very unusual circumstances. I refuse to go much into detail, as it is a scary time to remember, but know that our meeting each other has produced a love that is unchallenged in passion. Don't EVER let anyone say that it's unnatural. That it's not normal for a human to love a Pokémon. Love is love, and it comes in many forms. I do understand where many of the older folks are coming from, as they lived through the 'old days,' but regardless, don't let them sway your beliefs. If it weren't right, you wouldn't exist. Just know that Arceus loves you. You may not feel like it at times, but you are special."_

She looked down at her intently listening son and kissed his forehead, _"Now, I am going to let you go to Washington, D.C., but I need you to look for Dad while you're there, alright? Make sure Alex pitches in as well. When you find him, I want you to make him tell you everything. I would tell you, but it isn't my story to tell. Good luck, son. Call me every once in awhile."_

Aaron was dumbfounded. He then thought of his friends and asked, "What about Lilah and Sam?"

Katie got up and as she was leaving, she said, _"I talked with Aunt Mia and Sam's mom over the phone. They both astonishingly allowed them to journey with you once I explained the situation. Bye, honey. Please find your father for me. I love you."_

Aaron called back, "I love you too," and Katie sped off with her enhanced speed, leaving Aaron alone once again in his empty hotel room. He returned to bed and quickly fell back to sleep, this time, with a slight smile on his face.

He arose to the faint sound of the awakening city outside of his window. Faint honks, loud voices, revs of car engines. These were the sounds of the city, of the booming life downtown had. Aaron got up from the relatively comfy hotel bed and walked to the bathroom to take a much needed shower. He removed his athletic shorts and underwear after he turned on the water in the bathroom. He stepped in and engaged the wonderful feeling of warm water on his skin. To him, it felt like freedom, or rather, the cleansing of limitations.

During his shower, he could've sworn that he heard loud banging over the splashing of water onto the shower floor. He stopped washing himself and listened. He heard it again. It was persistent. Hoping it would stop, Aaron continued with his shower, but it didn't. It got louder instead. Angrily, Aaron stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. He stormed out of the bathroom and moved towards the hotel room door. He looked through the eye hole to see a furry, little Zoroark. Aaron sighed and opened the door slightly, trying not to reveal that all he had on was a towel. Lilah gasped as she began to fall forward, trying to regain balance by holding the door, but instead, the door swung open and she fell to the floor with a not-so-graceful tumble to Aaron's feet.

Aaron held his towel tight and said, "What the hell, Lilah?!"

She stared up from the floor, witnessing an angle that she didn't expect but always wanted and blushed. _"I—I am so sorry Aaron! I was leaning against the—door trying to listen to make sure you were still alive or—something and…"_ She stuttered, looking away from Aaron as to not embarrass him or herself any further.

Aaron calmed down and held out a hand for Lilah to take. She looked at the hand and smiled, taking hold of it for leverage. Aaron yanked her back up to her feet with immense strength, to Lilah's surprise.

Lilah quickly said, _"Thanks,"_ and began to walk back out. On her way, she asked, _"Oh yeah, when should we head out?"_

Aaron replied with, "In about an hour from now." Aaron glanced back towards his bed to see a clock by it that read nine forty.

With that, Lilah was gone, not missing a beat to run from her embarrassment. Aaron sighed and returned to his awaiting shower.

After an hour had passed, Aaron was ready to go. He had on red athletic shorts and a loose, gray t-shirt. His necklace was highlighted by the lack of color on his chest, having the copper color outshine the silver-gray. He walked out of his hotel room with his backpack on. He went over to Sam's door and knocked. Sam, in a nice summer skirt and surprisingly elegant-looking tank top, answered. They both the went to Lilah's door and knocked. The Zoroark answered, her fur was fluffed up and messy. Sam couldn't help but laugh at the humiliated Zoroark, but Aaron felt bad.

 _"Sorry guys, before we leave, could I brush my fur?"_ Lilah asked.

Aaron nodded and said, "Sure, Lilah. May we come in to wait?"

Lilah nodded and walked further into her room, allowing for the other two to enter. When they did, they sat on the bed while Lilah was in the bathroom straightening her hair out. Aaron and Sam sat in an uncomfortable silence. With neither of them willing to talk, they both wished that Lilah would be ready quickly, so they could end the silence.

After a short while, Lilah exited the bathroom with her fur properly straightened out. Both Sam and Aaron promptly got up and headed for the door. Lilah followed suit, grabbing her bag on the way out. The trio arrived down at the lobby and returned the keys.

Aaron pulled out his wallet in front of the receptionist and said, "Alright, what do I owe you? I paid nothing yesterday."

She smiled and said, "Oh, you owe nothing Mr. Jonas. It was an honor to have you here."

Aaron smiled, thanked her and turned to leave. As the trio left the hotel, both girls asked simultaneously, "How did you do that?"

Aaron giggled shyly. He was mostly humble, but he couldn't help but say, "Having one of the most famous people as your father brings certain advantages. And disadvantages." He spoke the last part under his breath, and it went unnoticed by the girls.

They walked to a coffee shop at the edge of the downtown area, called Sawsbucks. Lilah ordered a hot chocolate; she didn't like coffee that much. Sam ordered some exotic-sounding concoction that neither Lilah nor Aaron knew. Even the barista seemed confused or taken aback by the request, but it was made, nevertheless. Finally, Aaron ordered plain black coffee. The three paid for and drank their beverages as they continued to walk, leaving town completely. The city turned to fields of crops and meadows. They walked along the road, as it was the most reliable way to keep on-path. Little conversation went on during the hike, but after about an hour of walking, Sam's whining ruined the silence. She was beginning to complain about her tired feet and empty stomach. Lilah remained silent, focusing on the trek. Eventually, the grunts and groans were too much for Aaron to handle.

As they approached a quaint lake by the road, Aaron said, "Alright, we can take a break here. It's about noon now, but we don't have any food, so we need to just take a short break and keep going." The girls agreed and followed him to the bank of the lake.

Aaron took a seat in the grass, staring into the water. He was almost expecting to see something in its reflection, but nothing but the bright blue of the sky revealed itself to him. Lilah kept walking down the border of the lake a ways, but eventually stopped and laid flat on the soft grass to rest. Finally, Sam plopped down by Aaron, who never broke his glance from the water. Sam was exhausted from walking and she leaned into Aaron. Her head rested on his shoulder. Aaron didn't object, instead, he prayed to Arceus his journey would be an easy one. Deep down, as he stared into the reflective water, he knew that it wouldn't.

It was dusk by the time the trio arrived at a small town further east from the large city called Gratiot. It had taken them a long time to make any progress, as Sam wasn't in as well of a trekking shape as Aaron and Lilah were. The two were, after all, Pokémon.

Their first stop was a tiny diner. When they entered, a sweet old lady showed them to a booth. They were the only people in the restaurant at the time and their orders arrived at their table quick, much to their enjoyment. They hadn't eaten the entire day and they were all famished. Aaron showed no remorse for his burger, as he tore into it. Normally, Aaron ate food in a very civilized and sophisticated manner, but he made an exception with burgers. As the two girls were eating at a slow pace, they both stared at the ravenous boy. He stopped chewing mid-bite, noticing the stares of the two.

"What?" Aaron asked.

The trio all shared glances at each other and started laughing. As much fighting as they had done already on the trip, they were all relieved that they could kick back and relax together.

Their laughter was cut short by the diner door swinging opened quickly. The trio all stared as they saw two very muscular figures run in. One was obviously a Machamp and the other was a Machoke. The old woman, who the trio assumed was the owner, stepped out of the kitchen to see what the commotion was. She was met with a pistol to her head.

The Machamp, holding the gun, demanded in a low, husky tone, _"Alright, bitch. Give us all the money you got. Hurry up, before I put a bullet in your head."_

The terrified old woman complied and slowly moved behind the counter and began to open the register. The Machoke was holding a sack opened in front of her, implying that that is where the money would go. Sam had cowered under the booth's table while Lilah and Aaron slid out and stood up. Aaron knew that it was a bad idea, but he began to sneak behind the two robbers. He knew that it wasn't wise to show his powers and that his father would not approve of it, but he didn't care. He knew that someone was going to die.

Lilah followed suit, using her Illusion ability to act as a chameleon would, morphing with the exotic paint of the diner wall. Aaron got to the backs of both of the Pokémon and began to concentrate, forming Aura Spheres independently in each of his hands. Once they were big enough, Aaron calmly said, "Now." Lilah knew what this meant and slapped the gun out of the Machamp's hand, losing her illusion and showing herself. The trigger pulled, causing the old woman to panic in fear, falling to the ground. Lilah took control of the gun as Aaron released the balls of Aura directly into the Pokémon's backs. Both of them fell to their knees in pain. The Pokémon never even had time to react before they were on the ground, defeated. Both of the Pokémon looked up to their subduer to find a simple thirteen year old boy staring down powerfully.

Suddenly, the Machoke revealed a knife and quickly got to his feet. Aaron was caught off guard and was forced to enter hand-to-hand combat. Machoke jabbed forward, grazing Aaron's shoulder as he jumped to the side in an attempt to dodge. He felt blood start to trickle down his arm. In anger, Aaron began charging his Aura. His fist began to glow a white-red, as heated steel would. Once he found an opportunity, he released his power in the form of a swift punch to the Machoke's gut. His powerful, glowing hand contacted with the Machoke, launching it backwards. The Pokémon slamming his head hard on the reception counter and he fell unconscious. Aaron learned Power-Up Punch.

The far 'stronger' Machamp had passed out in the aftermath of his earlier Aura Sphere. Aaron turned to Lilah, who was holding the pistol towards the duo on the ground. Her hands were shaking with a combination of adrenaline and fear.

Aaron asked, "Why didn't you shoot when he came at me with a knife?"

She dropped the gun and began to tear up, _"I froze. I'm so sorry, Aaron."_

Aaron frowned slightly and embraced the shaking Zoroark, having a little bit of blood drip onto her fur. She tensed up from the sudden hug, but eventually wrapped her arms around Aaron, returning it. They broke apart and helped the old lady, who was still behind the desk, and told her to call the police. Aaron and Lilah then went back over to the booth to see Sam, unconscious in a pool of blood.

In shock, Aaron grabbed Sam and held her bridal style. "Lilah, hop onto my back!" Aaron exclaimed.

Lilah was confused by the request, but accepted nevertheless, as Sam didn't have much time.

"Hold on tight," Aaron said, as Lilah put her arms around his neck.

Aaron pumped Aura into his legs and dashed out of the diner. The town was tiny, but they were fortunate enough that it had a hospital. Aaron burst through the hospital doors covered in blood. Some of it was his, but most of it was coming from Sam.

Aaron ran up to the front desk and said, "I need a doctor, _now_!"

The surprised receptionist, a sleepy-looking middle-aged man, nodded and called for a stretcher immediately. Once it arrived, Aaron gently placed Sam onto it and the two doctors moving it dashed off. Aaron tried to keep up, but he had spent so much energy and Aura that he slowed his pace, fluttered his eyes, and collapsed to the ground.

Aaron awoke to a bright white light and a steady, monotonous beep of a machine. He let his eyes slowly adjust and found a large needle protruding from his arm. He also noticed a feeding tube running into his nose. The beeping increased speed. Aaron tried to avoid looking at the I.V. further by looking around the room. He saw a Zoroark, Lilah, slouched over and asleep in a chair in the corner of the room. He then noticed that he was in a hospital gown. His clothes were missing. The beeping machine picked up pace. He also saw Sam. She was unconscious on a stretcher and had various wraps and bandages over her torso. Some of it was stained a deep red. The machine began to violently and relentlessly beep. Aaron began to exhale and inhale in short, quick bursts and passed out as nurses rushed into the room.

Aaron slowly cracked open his eyes again to see a concerned Zoroark staring at him from the side of his hospital bed. Tears filled her eyes. Aaron didn't stir and didn't open his eyes a noticeable amount. Instead, he watched her cry for him. At one point, Aaron noticed her put her face in her hands and mutter something into them. Feeling that it was the right time, Aaron stirred a bit and opened his eyes. Lilah looked up from her hands and let out a gasp of surprise.

 _"Oh, my Arceus!"_ Lilah exclaimed as she jumped onto the side of Aaron's bed and hugged him tightly.

Aaron returned the hug as best as he could, given the I.V. Lilah had him wrapped up in her arms, feeling nothing but the thin cloth of a hospital gown between them. The hug hurt Aaron, but he didn't care.

A doctor entered the room and quickly said, "Please get off of him! He's still recovering!"

Lilah complied, terminating the hug and returning to her seat with a deep blush. The doctor rushed over to Aaron and checked his vitals as Aaron remained still in his bed.

After the doctor was sure that Aaron was alright, he asked, "Do you know what happened last week?"

Aaron's eyes widened in shock. "That was a week ago?!"

The doctor nodded and continued with his questioning, knowing the answer to his last one, "Do you know about your wound?"

Aaron replied with, "Well, I know that the Machoke nicked me with a knife."

The doctor shook his head and said, "I wouldn't call that gash on your shoulder a 'nick.' The stitches were too extensive for that."

Aaron glanced to his shoulder to see it wrapped heavily in gauze. His body tensed up, making his arm sting with pain. Aaron quickly said, "Could I have some painkillers?"

The doctor sighed and said, "The I.V. is actually filled with the strongest painkillers we can legally put into your body at the moment."

Aaron sighed and looked to the side opposite from Lilah. Sam was still unconscious, wrapped even more heavily than before. "What happened to Sam?"

Before the doctor could say anything, Lilah spoke up. _"When the Machamp's gun went off, the bullet somehow hit her in the side of the stomach. She lost so much blood that she passed out at the diner. It's all my fault."_ Lilah began to weep.

Aaron spoke up and said, "Lilah. It's not your fault. None of this was. It's the two robbers who are to blame." Aaron turned to the doctor, "What happened to those two?"

The doctor said, "They are both in custody, no thanks to you." He smiled, and Aaron smiled back. "I have to go tend to my other patients. Please don't get up or move around. Your shoulder is very weak as of now." With that, the doctor left, leaving Aaron and Lilah in silence.

Eventually, Aaron broke the silence and asked, "Did we get our bags from the diner?"

Lilah perked up and replied with, _"The old woman at the diner was nice enough to bring them here for us."_ Aaron smiled and so did Lilah.

Aaron sighed and said, "Well, being stuck in here is gonna be boring as hell."

Lilah chuckled and said, _"Yeah, it has been. But that's alright. You're here."_ She muttered the last part so Aaron wouldn't hear. But Aaron did and blushed at the compliment.

His mind suddenly was filled with thoughts from his childhood with Lilah. How they would always play in their backyards together. One day, Aaron tripped on a protruding stump of the oak tree and fell, scraping his elbow. He remembered his mother racing over to him and placing her palm over the wound. Her hand glowed blue and all of a sudden, it was better.

Aaron widened his eyes and said, "I have an idea! Get the doctor." Lilah nodded and left quickly to find him.

Momentarily, she returned with the doctor. "What is it? Are you hurting?" He asked worriedly.

Aaron shook his head and said, "No, doctor. I want to ask your permission for something. You see, I am not completely human. I am part Lucario. I can use Aura."

The doctor nodded in understanding and said, "I know you are. We had to run tests on your blood just in case you needed a transfusion. The blood tests came back as hybrid."

Aaron nodded and continued, "I wanted to ask you if I could use my Aura to heal myself."

He thought for a minute and eventually said, "Alright, but you might pass out from exhaustion."

Aaron simply replied with, "I know."

Aaron closed his eyes and began to glow. The blue concentrated onto his shoulder and he began to feel a cooled feeling where his stab wound was. After a while, Aaron stopped and began to breathe heavily in exhaustion.

He said, "Check. Check the wound."

The doctor nodded and slowly undid the bandage. The only thing that was underneath it was a big scar. He smiled and said, "It worked!" but Aaron was already asleep.

Aaron awoke once again to Lilah. This time, she was just staring at his face. She saw him wake and quickly ran back to her chair and acted like she was asleep. Aaron propped himself up and chuckled. "Nice try, Lilah." Lilah opened her eyes and blushed, never looking at Aaron in embarrassment that she was caught. Aaron realized that he didn't have a shirt on and his I.V. was no longer in him. He was finally free to roam. He turned his body and dangled his legs off of the side of the hospital bed. He slowly let himself hit the ground and stood. It felt unnatural to him.

He turned to the Zoroark and asked, "How long has it been since the incident?"

She slowly looked up, but her eyes only made it to Aaron's chest, where they stayed. _"It's been weeks. Three, I believe. Your Aura took two weeks to recover."_

Aaron blushed as he realized that she was staring at his chest. Aaron walked over to the corner where his bag was and pulled out a blue form-fitting shirt and slipped it over his head. His shoulder ached and stung at the sudden movement, but he ignored it, as he knew his Aura was powerful enough to hold the wound shut.

After a while, Lilah said, _"I know that you train a lot, but how on earth did you get so strong and powerful?"_

Aaron blushed slightly and said, "Long story. I don't even know some parts of it, but that doesn't matter. I'll tell you both when Sam wakes up." They both glanced over at Sam, who was still unconscious.

The next week, as June turned to July, Sam opened her eyes. She let out a groan of pain as Aaron and Lilah rushed to her bed-side. Sam slowly looked over at the two and said, "Hey guys. Long time, no see."

Aaron, unshaken by her sudden giggly mood, said, "Sam, do you want me to heal you?"

She looked at him confusedly and asked, "How on earth are you gonna do that, doc?"

Aaron coldly replied, "There are many things you do not know about me."

Aaron placed his hand over Sam's wound on the side of her stomach. She instinctively tensed up at his touch, but calmed soon after, realizing that it was a gentle touch. Aaron closed his red eyes and pumped blue Aura into her. She was healed instantly.

Aaron stopped and caught his breath, saying, "Still trying to master that."

Sam looked at the teen in astonishment. "Aaron, what are you?"

Aaron sat at the side of her bed and sighed loudly. Lilah leaned up against the wall, waiting to hear some juicy details about Aaron's personal life.

Aaron began by saying, "Sam, I know that you have met my mother, but you never knew she is my real mother. She is a Lucario. Therefore, I am a hybrid."

Sam didn't seemed surprised at this and said, "I figured that much, as I saw you using moves at the diner before I was shot."

She glared over at Lilah, who hung her head in shame and said, _"Sam, I am so sorry for that. I didn't mean to, I was just trying to get it out of the robber's hands."_

Sam said nothing and motioned for Aaron to continue. Hesitantly, Aaron said, "Just recently, my Pokémon half of me evolved, allowing me to use Aura."

Sam interjected, "So, the other half of you hit puberty?"

Aaron blushed and shyly said, "Well, yes." He regained his composure and added, "Although, I don't know why I am stronger than most Pokémon. It doesn't make much sense. I guess I have trained pretty hard. Nearly every morning, when my brother was living with us, I would train out in the backyard with him. He's taught me nearly everything I know."

Sam asked, "So where is he now?"

Aaron answered, "In Washington, D.C., where we're headed. He owns the most successful hotel in the city called 'Hotel Aaron.'"

Sam smirked and said, "You have a hotel named after you, rich boy?"

Aaron frowned at her insult, but nodded in affirmation. Or was it a compliment?

Aaron continued, "But that's not why we're going to D.C. The reason, as you know, is to look for my father. I don't know the reason why he disappeared, but my mother thinks that he's in D.C. so we're gonna go and recruit my brother's help."

Sam and Lilah nodded in understanding.

"One more thing," said Sam, "Why do you seem to have the privileges of Arceus himself?"

Aaron thought about it for a second and replied with, "Well, my father _did_ work with him. And my middle name _is_ Arceus. But the real reason is as a result of my dad's past government position, our entire family was given these exclusive official I.D. cards. They get us pretty much any service like a hotel or hospital, but food's a different story. I'm not sure what my dad did to deserve his government position in the first place, though. He was just a guy with a Ph.D. In Biology and a Master's in Education."

The door opened and the doctor entered. He was elated that Sam was awake after so much time.

Aaron turned to the doctor and said, "I'm sorry, doctor. I kind of used my Aura again to heal her."

The doctor looked at Aaron in a confused manner, and asked, "Why would that be a problem? She's better. That's all that matters." Aaron nodded as the doctor removed her bandage, revealing her bare stomach, with a visible bullet wound. The doctor nodded happily and said, "It looks like you're all healed up! You'll just be a bit sore for a day or two. You're all free to leave!" They all smiled, as the doctor removed Sam's I.V., making her wince. "Before you all leave, though. I have some medicine and antibiotic prescriptions to give to the two of you. Any allergies to any medications that you know of?" Both Aaron and Sam shook their heads and the doctor left to fill them.

Sam looked at Aaron and Lilah and asked, "Could I have my bag, please? I need to get some clothes."

Aaron, who was the closest to her bag, grabbed it and gave it to her.

Sam smiled and said, "Thanks," as she took the bag, purposefully brushing her hand against Aaron's.

Aaron and Lilah gave her privacy as she dressed and soon after, the doctor returned with the medications. "Take two a day for ten days. One at breakfast and one at dinner."

Aaron presented a card to him and asked, "Does this work here?"

The doctor looked at it and his eyes widened. "Oh my Arceus! I knew that your last name was Jonas, but I didn't know that you are _the_ Jonas!"

Aaron nodded, and interjected, "Well, that would be my father." Wanting to move on from the conversation, he asked, "So, does it?"

The doctor said, "Of course it works here! And if the receptionist gives you any trouble about it, come and get me. I'll be sure that it's covered."

The trio checked out and left, more determined than ever to keep moving forward. As they exited the hospital, Lilah jokingly said, _"Hey, wanna go get a bite to eat at the diner before we head out?"_

The three laughed as they headed out of the city, towards Washington, D.C.


	17. Chapter Four: Straight to Trouble

**Chapter Four: Winding Path Straight to Trouble**

The three stopped at a gas and charging station just outside of Gratiot in a town called Hopewell near dusk. 'I wish we had a car,' Aaron thought as he picked a bag of snack mix off of the rack. Lilah and Sam were over at the refrigerators, choosing what drink they would want. Despite him having more money than most, Aaron's favorite place to go was gas/charging stations to grab a snack. He loved the quick simplicity of grabbing what you want, paying, and leaving. He also knew the ins and outs of slush-making. With his snack in hand, he grabbed a cup and went to the machine. He placed the cup underneath and pulled the lever, to which the machine responded by a faint hum as a green liquid oozed into it. He let it fill up two-thirds of the cup and stopped, moving over to the blue handle. Pulling it downward, he filled up the rest of it with blue slush.

The three paid and left. As they did, Aaron picked up a free old map of the territory of 'America' by the door. Wandering a little, they found a good spot in a grassy patch to eat. The three sat down and opened their snacks. Conversation was mainly muted by crunching and eating, but eventually, Sam chuckled and said, "I stink." She hadn't had a shower in four weeks.

Aaron said, "Y'know, this station has a shower house."

Sam gasped and said, "Oh, hell no!"

They all laughed, and Aaron pulled out the map and suggested, "If we pull an all-nighter and get to the next town, we can take the day off tomorrow and chill."

Sam and Lilah looked at each other, and looked back at Aaron. They said in unison, "Let's do it!"

They finished their food and began to head out. As they did, Aaron pulled out his phone and unlocked it. He went to his mother's contact and called her. It wrang a few times, but was hastily answered.

 _"Aaron?"_ Katie said.

Aaron replied with, "Hey Mom, how are you?"

She laughed and said, _"Who cares about how I am! I haven't heard from you in a month!"_

Aaron sighed and said, "Don't freak out, but I've been in the hospital."

Ignoring her son's request, she screamed, _"WHAT?!"_

Aaron continued, "A diner we were at was robbed and Lilah and I saved it. I got out with a knife wound in the shoulder and Sam was shot in the stomach. Don't worry, though. We're both perfectly fine! The doctor let me use my Aura and we're fine now."

Katie sternly said, _"Aaron Arceus Jonas, don't you dare put yourself in danger like that ever again! I am worried sick about you three!"_

Aaron replied with, "I know, Mom. You should understand more than anyone that I can take care of myself and the girls. I am not a human."

Katie sighed and said, _"I know, honey. Just be careful out there. The world isn't as peachy as school teaches."_

Aaron chuckled and said, "Yeah, we've learned that. I have to go, Mom. We're pulling an all-nighter and walking to the next town. I'll call you again soon. Love you."

Katie replied with, _"I love you too, Aaron. Please be on the lookout for your father. Goodbye."_

Aaron hung up the phone and caught up with the others in front of him.

Sam and Lilah were snickering about something, so Aaron asked, "What did I miss? Something funny?" Sam and Lilah turned away from Aaron, hiding their blushes. Aaron dropped it and continued, "You both should call your parents. I'm sure they're worried sick about you."

Sam and Lilah nodded, and Lilah replied, _"I am afraid she will be mad with me for leaving her."_

Aaron looked at her, her blush now dissipated, and he said, "I'm sure Aunt Mia will understand. I hope."

The three stopped and sat by along the side of the road. Sam and Lilah called their parents while Aaron sat and inspected the map. He was attempting to drown out the conversations while also attempting to find a shortcut out of the state. Both phone calls ended simultaneously, followed by the collective sighs of the relieved teens. Sam said, "That went better than expected." And Lilah nodded in agreement. The three got up and began the long trek in the dark of the night.

Their path was guided by the dim streetlights strewn along the side of the road. Few cars whizzed by them in the dead of night, making the walk seem peaceful. But to Aaron, it was just eerie. Sam and Lilah noticed that he was on edge, and it made them feel uneasy about their situation.

Lilah spoke up and suggested, _"Uh… maybe we should stop for the night and camp out?"_

Aaron chuckled and shook his head. He asked, "Would you rather sleep on the ground, or walk a little while to a nice, soft bed?"

Sam nervously interjected, "I would rather we stop."

Aaron sighed loudly, but didn't stop. Sam and Lilah took this as his response and continued on walking as well, knowing that Aaron was probably right.

Awhile into their trek down the side of the road, a large object, which Aaron concluded to be a car, skidded in front of them. Aaron instinctively prepared himself for a fight as the girls hid behind him. The figure driving the electric car rolled down the passenger window and leaned over the center console. He wore a slim tuxedo suit and a perfect bow tie. His long hair seemed to be slicked back with gel and a comb, like blue strands of licorice. His soft blue-gray eyes had a smiling property to them.

He called out to the trio, "Hello, children. What seems to be the purpose of accompanying the darkness on this fine night?" He had a refined and kosher personality, one that would make Mr. Gatsby himself blush in embarrassment. His voice was calm and smooth.

Aaron only replied with, "We should be going." Aaron began to move around the sideways car with the girls close behind, but the man reversed his car into their path, blocking them.

"Now, children, you shouldn't be out on such a barren night. Please let me accompany you on your journey to where you are headed."

Aaron stared at the man, who had an amazingly warm smile. His eyes sparkled with kindness. Aaron coldly said, "No."

The kind man in the car morphed his face into a firm frown. His eyes were drained of any happiness. It was as if a switch was flipped. The man then raised his hand, revealing a gun. He pointed the silenced gun out of the window at the teens.

"Alright, children. You leave me no choice. You will get into the car, or you will be met with bullets."

Aaron looked back at the girls, who were both shaking in fear. Aaron calmly nodded and approached the car. He opened the passenger door and climbed in, acting as calm as possible, while Sam and Lilah were fretting just to get the back door opened. The man gave a grin, as he had gotten what he wanted.

Keeping the gun pointed at Aaron's head, he cut the wheel and jerked his car back onto the road, speeding off. Aaron knew it was a bad idea to speak, but he knew he had to get the man's guard down.

Slowly, he opened his mouth, "Sir, what's your name?"

The proper man shot a glare towards Aaron, tightening the grip on the gun. "Son, there is no need for formalities where you're headed. But, if you insist, you may call me Master."

Aaron scoffed, making a guttural sound of disgust involuntarily. The man angrily smacked Aaron in the head with the gun, making the two girls in the back shudder in fear. Aaron's head recoiled to the window, smacking against the glass.

Trying to sound unfazed, Aaron continued, "So, Master, what do you do for a living?"

The man smirked and said, "Child, I am not the evil man you see me as. So, I'll tell you the God's honest truth. You see, child, I was educated at Oxford and…"

At that point, the man had lost focus on the gun. He was paying a keen attention to the road and the words that he was saying, carefully picking out each one. In an instant, Aaron swiped the gun from the man's hands and pointed it at his head.

"Listen here. Give me one reason why I shouldn't shoot you right now."

The man, shaken up, replied in a smooth tone with, "I can assure you, child, that I had no ill intentions."

Aaron laughed and said, "That's more bullshit than you going to Oxford. Now pull this damn car over."

The man did as he was told, stopping on the side of the road. Aaron continued, "Now get out and walk ten paces."

The man opened the car door and stepped out, slowly walking as Aaron trained the gun on the man's back. Aaron hopped over the center console and into the driver's seat.

Aaron finished with, "Now, I am gonna ask you one more time. What's your name?"

The man sighed and said, "Child, I may not be your Master yet, but I am always Master."

Frustrated, Aaron aimed out of the window at the man's leg and fired. The silenced bullet pierced the man's leg, causing an excessive amount of blood to shoot out. The man fell to the ground and yelled out in pain.

This time, he whined, "Ryucs. My name is Ryucs. Now, go to Hell."

"See you there."

Aaron put the car into 'D,' which he assumed was drive, and tapped the acceleration rather quickly, making the car jerk suddenly. He then slammed on it, making the electric car hum to an insane speed as he sloppily turned the steering wheel back onto the road, leaving the bleeding Ryucs 'Gatsby' on the side of the road.

"Sorry, you two. I've never driven before."

The girls were too paralyzed with fear to even make a peep. Instead, the two buckled up and braced for a bumpy ride. Aaron took the long, winding road for a few minutes, going ninety miles per hour. At that speed, they would have gotten to the next town in no time. But they weren't the only ones on the road. As the trio zoomed by a advertising sign with a pair of reading glasses on it, Aaron began to hear a faint whirring of a siren. Aaron glanced into his rear-view mirror to see a white and black car, complete with revolving red, blue, and white lights.

Aaron said, "Well, shit. I never really thought about cops being out here."

He slowed the car and pulled to the side. He put the car into 'P.' He could only assume that it was park. The nervous trio waited in the car as the police car pulled up behind them. A figure got out and approached the driver's side, where Aaron was. Aaron rolled the window down and stared at the policemen.

 _"Well, I'll be damned,"_ the Lucario said, _"I knew I was following an inexperienced driver, but you three don't look a day over ten."_

Aaron was frustrated at being referred to as a small child, but he was more terrified of being arrested. "Officer, I can explain, although it might not be enough for you to believe me. We were walking to the next town to find a hotel to stay in. That's when this man named Ryucs pulled his car in front of us and pointed a gun at us."

At this, the Lucario pulled a gun from his vest and prepared, _"Do you still have the gun? Don't reach for it or move your hands. Keep them where they are."_

Aaron gulped and said, "Yes, it's on the passenger's side floor."

The Lucario went around the car, opened the passenger door and confiscated the weapon.

Aaron continued, "He forced us to get into his car, but I eventually distracted him enough to steal the gun from him and turn it on him. I forced him out of the car and I took it. I also shot him in the leg, so he is bleeding down the road a ways."

The Lucario touched his ear, activating an earpiece, and addressed dispatch and his fellow officers of the bleeding man in the road as he stared deeply into the eyes of Aaron.

Finally, the Lucario said, _"I read your Aura and I know that you aren't lying. I also know that you are part Lucario. Therefore, you must have_ some _sense of justice... and your morals are straight. I'm going to let you off the hook, but you can't drive. Leave the car here and come with me, I'll drive you all to wherever you want to go."_

Aaron lit up and said, "Thank you so much! What's your name?"

The Lucario smiled and replied with, _"My name is Pulse Rethers. Officer Rethers."_

Aaron stepped out of the car and Sam and Lilah followed. Aaron held out his hand to the Lucario, "Aaron Jonas. Nice to meet you, Officer Rethers."

Pulse Rethers shook it happily and motioned to his car. Once the trio piled into the back, the Lucario entered the driver's seat and said, _"Alright, you guys headed to Zanesville?"_

Aaron smiled and said, "Yes, Officer."

Officer Rethers replied with, _"Alright, we'll be there in a few minutes."_

With that, the Lucario drove off down the winding road, leaving the fancy jet-black car on the side of the road to be eaten by the darkness of the night.

"Maybe an all-nighter was a bad idea after all," Aaron said.

Sam sneered in an 'I told you so' manner, as Lilah kept quiet.

Officer Rethers glanced back at them and asked, _"What are you all doing alone out here in the middle of the night, anyway?"_

No one answered him. Sam and Lilah were both stared at Aaron, hoping he had an answer. Aaron was deep in thought at the question. 'What is my purpose for leaving? Why are we traveling?'

He cleared his throat and simply said, "I am not completely sure, Officer Rethers."

Again, the Lucario looked back with concern and said, _"Well, surely there's a reason for being away from home like you all are. You didn't run away from home, did you?"_

Aaron replied with, "No, we didn't run away. My father is missing. My mom thinks that he is in Washington, D.C. So, I'm trying to find him."

The Lucario continued, _"And what about your friends?"_

The two girls just looked down at the car floor, not saying a word.

Aaron sighed and said, "I kind of dragged them into this. I never really thought about how you two must be feeling. I'm sorry." Aaron looked at the two, who both looked up with slight blushes and smiles.

Lilah said, _"It's alright, Aaron."_ Then, the two hugged Aaron, squishing him in the middle.

Within the hug, Aaron said, "I'm glad that you both understand."

By early morning, they arrived in Zanesville. Just on the outskirts, sat a quaint hotel, where Officer Rethers dropped them off.

As they exited the car, Rethers called out, _"Aaron! You have great powers. Use them wisely."_

Aaron nodded and yelled, "Thank you!" as Officer Rethers sped away.

Aaron joined up with the girls and checked in using his card. They each received rooms on the top floor. Each room had a small balcony which oversaw a pool and a strip of wilderness beyond it. Aaron entered his hotel room and immediately changed into his night attire, or rather, just kept his athletic shorts on. Wanting to relax a little bit before going to bed, he opened the sliding doors leading to the balcony and stepped out. The cool Ohio breeze brushed by his skin as he walked to the chair that was positioned on the balcony and sat down. He let out a sigh as he looked up at the stars. He was searching for something in them. His purpose, his reason, his mind. 'What was I thinking?' he thought as he slouched into his chair and closed his eyes and let out a long breath.

Another figure had stepped out and admired the stars as well. Aaron wasn't aware of it, but on the adjacent balcony, Sam was standing in a robe looking over at him. "What I wouldn't give for him…" she softly whispered to herself, daydreaming about Aaron. Aaron had exceptional hearing when he was listening, but all he heard was mumbles. He opened his eyes and glanced over at where the mumble came from and found Sam staring dreamily at him.

Aaron nervously said, "Uh… hey, Sam."

She snapped out of her trance and said, "Oh! Hi." And with that she raced back into her room.

Aaron shrugged and decided to do the same as the sun began to rise. Aaron collapsed on his bed and began to think, 'At least tomorrow… today… will be a relaxing day.' He closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.


	18. Chapter Five: Freedom in the Shackles

**Chapter Five: Freedom in the Shackles**

Aaron opened his eyes to see a white hospital room. He was sitting on a chair, while someone else was on a hospital bed in front of him. He glanced to his right to see Lilah sitting in another chair. Lilah slowly turned to face Aaron. Her face was expressionless. All of a sudden her face began to melt like wax and fall to the ground, revealing the face of Ryucs. He had a sophisticated smirk on his face, as if he had just proven that he was correct about something and was proud of it. His hair wasn't slicked back, but wild and unkempt. Aaron suddenly threw to punch Ryucs, but Ryucs morphed into his father instantaneously. His fist connected with his father's jaw. It answered with a cracking sound. His father fell off of the chair, with a broken jaw, dead. From one punch. Aaron knelt by his father and attempted to say, 'I am so sorry!' but it came out as, "Why did you leave me?" His father's body turned to ashes as Aaron looked back up at the hospital bed. Whoever was resting silently was now set ablaze in a curtain of deep orange fire. There was no movement from the body underneath, it was just sitting there, being eaten by the flames. Aaron noticed a gun on a side table. It was the silenced gun that Ryucs had. Aaron took ahold of it, closed his eyes, pointed it to his head, and said, "You win, Ryucs. You win." He tensed up his hand, and squeezed the trigger.

Aaron shot up from his sleep and tried to catch his breath, but to no avail. He put a hand on his bare chest and smacked it, trying to give himself CPR, in a way. Once he finally regained breathing, he sat motionlessly on his bed, thinking about his dream. 'What does it mean?' Aaron thought, 'Wait a second…' He thought back to his dream he had the last night that he was in his house. 'That man… was Ryucs! But how did I know him then when I only met him yesterday?'

He thought about it for a minute but was interrupted by a knock on the door. He walked to it and answered it to find Sam in a cute skirt waiting at the door.

All she could say was, "Uh, good morning," as she stared at his body.

Aaron quickly grabbed a shirt and put it on. "What's up, Sam?"

She replied with, "I was wondering if we could go to the mall today?"

Aaron smiled and said, "Sure! Just let me take a shower, then we'll head out."

Sam nodded and skipped down the hall. Aaron glanced down the hallway to see that Sam had not returned to her room, but went to Lilah's room instead. Curious, Aaron tiptoed over to Lilah's door to find it opened a bit. He froze and listened in.

"He's so hot! He didn't have a shirt on and I died!"

 _"I know! We need to sort this out. We both like him, so should we let him decide?"_

There was a long pause. "I think… that we should just share him."

 _"But I don't want to."_

Aaron had heard enough. He ran back to his room, and took a long, hot shower. He wanted to forget what had just heard. But he couldn't. 'I'm only thirteen! I thought that we were just friends! Dammit, why do I have to look good?! Maybe I should stop training and let myself go? Wait, hell no! Never!' He thought for a moment, as he washed the soap off of himself. 'Maybe… I need to learn to love them. Or one of them.'

Later that morning, the trio left the hotel for the day and walked on the sidewalk into the city. Aaron was in the middle while Sam and Lilah flanked him.

"What are we gonna do at the mall?" Aaron asked.

Sam smiled and said, "We're gonna try on some new outfits!"

Aaron sighed, 'Great. I wanted to spend my relaxing day clothes shopping.' It was a peaceful morning, with a few clouds and a soft breeze that made the summer heat tolerable. The three walked down the sidewalk, blending with the late-morning crowd. The town of Zanesville was one of those places where there weren't quite enough people to call it a large town, but the fairly large crowds on the streets would suggest otherwise. The trio dodged through the sea of Pokémon and people for awhile until they came across a large complex with various store logos coating the side of it.

 _"Here it is!"_ Lilah shouted excitedly.

As they entered the automatic sliding doors, a steady blast of cool air refreshed them.

Aaron exhaled and said, "That's my favorite part about stores: the blast of A.C. as soon as you walk in."

The two girls chuckled as they dragged Aaron to 'H&B Wear.' They were greeted by a Hitmonchan in an athletic shirt and shorts as well as a Bellossom in a beautiful pink floral dress.

 _"Welcome to 'Hit and Bell's Wear!' Can we help you find anything today?"_ asked Bell, the Bellossom.

Aaron replied kindly with, "No, thank you. We're gonna try different things and see what we like."

Hit, the Hitmonchan, interjected, _"I suggest you try out our new 'hyperthin' wear."_ He pointed over to a rack that had various shirts hanging on it. All of them seemed so thin that they were see-through.

"I will, thank you," Aaron replied.

Aaron moved over to the hyperthin shirts and took one off the rack while the two girls followed Bell to the women's section of the store. It was a large, his size, and blue, his favorite color. The shirt felt like pure silk and it was super light and airy.

Aaron called over to Hit, who was by the register, and said, "What are these made out of?"

Hit glanced over and said, _"Ah, those are actually made of treated woven spider silk."_

Aaron's eyes widened at what Hit said. The shirt he was holding was spider silk. "Awesome!"

Hit laughed and continued, _"A fun fact about that is it is astonishingly durable and resistant to pressure and impact. Spider silk, especially when woven in a stitch-fashion, retains the same tensile strength as kevlar and steel."_

Aaron's jaw dropped. It was exactly what he needed, seeing as guns were being constantly pointed in his direction. "How much is this shirt?"

Hit replied with, _"Well, it's a fairly new development, so the price reflects its revolutionary capabilities. It's 150 Poké."_

Unfazed by the absurdly high price, Aaron simply said, "Sold," and smiled. He took the shirt and moved over to the less expensive and more practical wear situated by the side wall of the store. At that point, shopping fever hit him and he was invested in picking out as much stuff as possible. He brushed by the racks, shovelling different shirts and shorts into his arms. He even found a red muscle tank top with the sides cut low. 'This would be great to wear on really hot days.' He also found a pair of deep blue swim trunks that were his size, adding that to the heap of clothes in his hands.

He took his spoils over to the women's section to try and find Sam and Lilah. On his way over, he couldn't help but notice a sweatshirt in the woman's aisle that caught his eye. It was a yellow sweatshirt with brown lines on the sides under the sleeves. It resembled a Pikachu's torso. 'Lilah would look cute in this. Or Sam. Gah! I need to pick one!' Unable to decide, he grabbed two. Continuing on, he caught a glimpse of a dark gray and red mane of hair in one of the aisles. He stopped walking and redirected himself to the person.

Running over, he excited said, "Hey Lilah! I have something I think you should try on!"

The Zoroark turned around and asked, _"Do I know you?"_

Aaron froze. "I am so sorry ma'am! I thought that you were someone else."

She smiled and said, _"That's quite alright, young man. Have a good day."_ She turned away, leaving Aaron alone in the aisle.

Aaron felt terrible. 'I can't even tell my best friend from another Zoroark.' He leaned his back up against a display, terrified and appalled of himself. The girl he had known since he was just a little kid was still but a stranger to him. He thought about the times they shared together. His childhood with her felt like a lie in that moment. He regained composure and forced himself to use Calm Mind. He entered a forced meditation. His sad thoughts corrupted his focus and instead of his body filling with a blue Aura, the Aura was black. The black mist enveloped his body as he was cloaked in his sorrows in the vacant isle of the store. He knew that his mind was stronger than that. He tried something new, an Aura purge. He exerted pure energy from his body and the dark Aura shot outward and dissipated like settling dust. Aaron opened his eyes and straightened himself up. He felt happy again, as if nothing had happened, but deep down, he knew what happened.

He continued on, looking for the girls, with the clothes piled in his hands once again. Eventually, Sam called to him within the labyrinth of aisles.

 _"Hey, Aaron! What'd you get?"_

Aaron looked over and saw Sam with the Bellossom holding a nice comfortable looking shirt. He walked over to them and showed her the sweatshirt.

"I want you to try this on. I think it looks really cool."

Sam smiled and took it from him, holding it up to herself. _"I think it'll fit. Let's have a kind of fashion show!"_

Lilah appeared from behind one of the shelves and said, "That's a great idea!"

Aaron groaned and said, "Fine." He then looked over to Bell and said, "I apologize that we are being such nuisances."

Bell chuckled and said, _"Oh, no! You're fine."_

As the three took their clothes to the fitting rooms, Aaron said, "Hey, Lilah. You don't normally wear clothes. Are you gonna wear clothes now?"

She nodded and said, _"Probably not all the time, but I might occasionally wear something."_

Once they each got into their stalls at the fitting room, they each put on one outfit that they picked out. Round one consisted of Aaron in a black t-shirt and slim blue jeans, Lilah in a long green skirt and a white shirt with red highlights, and Sam in a purple tank top and dark blue short shorts. As Aaron looked at Sam, he felt a funny feeling; in a way, it was lust. When he looked at Lilah, he saw a cute Zoroark who looked younger than she was, like when they used to play in their backyards together. When the girls examined Aaron's outfit, all they could think was, 'He's so hot.'

And so it went, until both Sam and Lilah ran out of outfits to try on. They instead patiently waited outside as Aaron continued to try things on.

"Come on! Show us!" Sam exclaimed to Aaron.

Aaron groaned as he opened the door, revealing himself in the red muscle tank top and a pair of dark blue athletic shorts. Lilah's jaw dropped as Sam smirked, daydreaming about Aaron.

"So?"

Lilah was awoken from her stupor and said, _"It… You… I… Uh…"_

Sam remained speechless.

Aaron sighed and said, "I knew it was too much," and began to retreat back into the stall to take it off and not buy it.

Sam spoke up and said, "No! I mean, if you don't like it, but…"

Aaron decided to keep it and moved on to his final outfit. He removed it from its packing delicately and took his time putting it on. Once he had it on, he stepped out and showed it to the girls. It was a black suit with white accents at the front and a red bowtie. Sam snickered at the head piece. It was mostly black but had a lot of yellow in it as well. Lilah bursted out laughing.

"You make a dorky looking penguin."

Aaron retorted with, "What? I don't look good in a penguin costume?! That's just rude."

They all laughed together, enjoying each other's company and humor. Aaron took it off and returned to wearing his normal attire. He put the costume back on the shelf and joined the girls, who had already purchased their clothes and were waiting by the checkout with Hit.

"Hey, sorry about that. Had to put something back." Aaron said as he placed the clothes on the checkout counter.

Hit said, _"No problem, did you find everything you were looking for?"_ He began scanning all of the tags and ringing them up.

"I think I did, thank you."

In between scanning, Hit looked up and noticed something strange hanging around Aaron's neck. _"What is that necklace? I have never seen anything like it before."_

Aaron took hold of the pendant and looked down at it. "Oh, it's just something my father gave to me for my birthday."

 _"And what's the thing hanging on it?"_

Aaron answered, "It's an old piece of metal. It's from 2000 and has Abraham Lincoln on it. I'm not sure exactly what it is though. My father never told me anything about it."

 _"Alright. It looks to be 350 Poké."_

Aaron flipped to the back of the pendant and said confusedly, "No, it says here that it's 'One Cent.'"

Hit laughed and said, _"No, your clothes."_

Aaron said, "Oh," and blushed in embarrassment. He pulled out his wallet and paid Hit 350 Poké.

In a more hushed tone, Hit said, _"Wait, your necklace says cent? That might be an old penny. Those are worth a lot of money right now. All old world money is."_

"Wait, this is old world money?"

Hit nodded and said, _"Most likely. Do some research on it, you might find something you didn't know about it."_

The trio said their goodbyes as they left the store. It was after lunch at that point, but they weren't that hungry.

"You guys just want to grab a snack somewhere?"

The two girls nodded and followed Aaron to 'Auntie Anorith's Pretzels.' They were greeted by an elderly Anorith who gladly sold them each soft pretzels and nacho cheese. They ate as they walked, with bags of clothes in one hand and a pretzel in the other.

"Should we head back to the hotel now? We're back on the road tomorrow."

Sam groaned at Aaron's suggestion, but Lilah said, _"Sure."_

The three walked out the mall doors, again being blasted by the cooling A.C. They walked back while telling jokes and chatting up a storm. They were lost in conversation about random topics, all equally inconsequential.

Sam suddenly asked, "Could we maybe stay here a little longer?"

Aaron sighed and said, "My father is somewhere out there. I need to find him."

Lilah chimed in, _"Maybe there's a good reason why he left."_

Aaron stopped and thought about it for a second. 'What if he left for our own good?' Aaron pulled out his phone and found his father's contact. He hit call, put it to his ear and waited, the girls gathered around him in anticipation. The phone rang many times, but then stopped. Someone had picked up.

"Hello?" Aaron said excitedly. "Dad, is that you? Please say something…" No response. "We love you and miss you. Come back soon." The phone beeped and the call ended. "I think he hung up on me."

Sam and Lilah both hung their heads while Aaron stared blankly at his phone. They silently returned to walking. As they walked, they heard multiple loud pops, followed by countless small people and Pokémon running in the opposite direction. Aaron looked onward and noticed where they were all coming from. A school. Aaron took out his new hyperthin shirt and put it on. "Stay here!" yelled Aaron as he ran off towards the school, leaving his bag with the girls.

Aaron got to the school doors and bursted through them. He quickly came face to face with four masked people about ten feet away, all bearing the same letter on their chest. 'M.' Before they had time to react, Aaron shot large Aura Spheres at two of them, which immediately launched them backwards and knocked them out. The other two aimed pistols at Aaron and fired. Both shots connected with his chest, but instead of the bullets going through Aaron, they pushed the shirt inward and rebounded off. 'This shirt really does work.' Then came the pain. The impact of the high speed bullets still bruised his chest up fairly badly, as it stung tremendously. Aaron yelled, "You're both gonna pay for that!" He ran up to the two with his fists glowing white and delivered two powerful Force Palms. The two nearly died from the sheer force of the attack.

Leaving the hurting and suffering shooters on the floor, Aaron quickly began sweeping the classrooms for any injured people. "Is there anyone here? I'm here to help you." There was no response, just silence. 'Damn, I bet they aren't talking because they think that I'm the killer.' He continued his search. Eventually, he came upon room 47. Within it, laid a little girl who seemed to be around ten years old, unconscious and bleeding out on the floor. Aaron rushed over and placed his hand on her heart, which had a bullet hole in it. He pumped Aura into her and closed the wound. He picked her up delicately and kept moving. Aaron got to school's band room, where he found a little boy crying on the floor, holding his bleeding knee. Aaron quickly healed it and continued, now carrying two children. Clearing the first floor, he moved on to the smaller second floor, where he found another boy in room 103 who was shot in the side of the head. Aaron tried to heal him, but to no avail. The child was dead. The final room he checked was a library. There, a little girl was hiding under the table with a bleeding shoulder. Aaron placed his hand on her shoulder and pulsed her with Aura.

She smiled and said, "Thank you, Mister."

Aaron smiled as he picked her up and ran back down the stairs and to the entrance.

Once he stepped out with the three children in hand, he was met with a firm command, "Freeze!" Twelve police officers aimed guns at Aaron.

Aaron froze and said, "These kids need medical attention now!"

One of the officers put his gun down and shouted, _"Officers, hold your fire! I know this kid."_ All of the officers lowered their weapons and approached the school.

Aaron looked over to the familiar voice and said, "Officer Rethers! Get these kids to the hospital!"

Officer Rethers nodded and said, _"Medical is en route. One more minute."_

Aaron laid the kids down on the grass and said, "The four shooters are all knocked out in there."

 _"By who?"_

"Uh… Me."

The Lucario's eyes widened, _"You single-handedly subdued four gunmen?"_

Aaron nodded and said, "I took a few shots. This shirt saved me, though. It's made of spider silk."

 _"I have heard about those shirts. Does it actually work?"_

"Well, two bullets hit it and bounced off, but I'm gonna have some nasty bruises tomorrow."

A few police officers came out of the school, dragging the unconscious shooters to their cars. All of a sudden two figures ran past the police tape and rushed Aaron. He was attacked with two big hugs from Sam and Lilah, who dropped their shopping bags.

"Don't EVER scare me like that!"

 _"I heard the two shots and thought the worst."_

Aaron smiled and said, "Don't worry about me. I'll be just fine."

They broke their hug as the ambulances pulled into the school parking lot. Almost immediately, a combination of people and Pokémon filed out of them and rushed towards the children lying on the ground by Aaron's feet. An Audino was the first to arrive at the group and asked, "Help me get these kids to the ambulance, will you?" Aaron nodded and gingerly lifted two of them, cradling one in each arm, and carried them over to the opened rear doors. 'For elementary schoolers, these kids are light!' He handed one child to a waiting Chansey, placed the child on a gurney within the ambulance. Aaron then moved to another ambulance where a Blissey was waiting to take the other child. Handing the final small child to her, Aaron returned to Officer Rethers, who smiled brightly.

 _"You saved those children's lives, you know."_

Aaron looked down at his shoes, "Not all of them."

Two police officers opened the school doors and exited, each carrying one end of a body bag.

 _"Oh. I see."_

"The poor little guy was already dead before I got to him," Aaron started to cry softly.

Officer Rethers placed a hand on Aaron's shoulder and said, _"They would all be like him. But you did something more brave than any of the officers would ever do. You ran in there and saved their lives."_

Aaron nodded, but didn't say anything as he regained some composure. Sam and Lilah had their heads lowered, obviously upset that the child passed. Suddenly, they were escorted by two officers back behind the caution tape, out of earshot of Officer Rethers and Aaron.

 _"There are two sides to Aura, Aaron. Good and evil. Blue and gray. I am glad that you picked blue."_ Officer Rethers paused, but then continued, _"I have a question to ask you."_

Aaron looked up at Rethers and asked, "What is it?"

 _"I would like you to join the police-force as my partner. Will you?"_

Aaron's eyes widened, "I… Thank you, but… I can't."

Officer Rethers pushed, _"I can get you around the pre-placements and the academy, I know a guy. All you'll have to do is sign a few things and that's it. You are the best person for this job."_

"I need to find my father."

 _"I dispatched the Metropolitan Police Department last night, they are searching for him as we speak."_

Aaron was lost in thought. He had always dreamt of being a policeman and solving mysteries as a kid, now he had the chance to. At just thirteen years old.

"… Let me sleep on it."

Officer Rethers' face lit up like a child and he quickly said, _"Alright! Thank you for considering."_ He took out his notepad and scribbled numbers on it. He ripped it off and handed it out to Aaron, who took it. _"Whatever your decision is, please call me and tell me sometime tomorrow."_

Aaron quickly slipped away from the school with Sam and Lilah, as to not get caught up with the press's interviews. They walked back to the hotel in silence as the sun set. Once Aaron arrived at his hotel room, he quietly said, "Goodnight," to the two girls and opened the door. He walked through and closed the door before he could hear any other words. He walked through the darkness of his room for the balcony door. He swung it opened and took a seat at the familiar chair. He pulled out his phone and called his mom. The phone only rang once before his mother picked up.

 _"Aaron?"_

"Hi, Mom."

 _"What's wrong? You sound down."_

Aaron sighed, "Somekne just asked me to join him on his job. I'm only in Zanesville."

Katie stuttered, _"Well, uh, what does this person do?"_

"He's a Zanesville Police Officer."

 _"Honey, you are taking life too fast. You are only thirteen! And besides, Dad needs you! I need you to find him."_

"Mom, Officer Rethers, the guy that I was talking about, said that the MPD are looking for him right now."

 _"Dad's too smart for the police, sweetie. No one will be able to find him. He might not even be in D.C."_

"Have faith, Mom."

 _"I still don't think that you should join the police. I don't want to flip on the T.V. and read a headline saying 'Young Officer Killed' or something… I already feel like I have lost your father. I don't want to be alone."_

"You aren't alone, and won't be. I'm not going to die, I promise."

There was a long pause, and then Katie sighed.

 _"Your father and I… We've known death before."_ She quickly corrected herself in an attempt to not reveal too much, _"That is, we've known people who have died. We are no strangers to the sadness that it brings."_

"Not only do I _want_ to do this, but Sam and Lilah want to take a break from travelling and relax for a while anyway."

 _"What's Dad going to say when he hears that instead of looking for him, you were off fighting crime?"_

"He would smile at me and say, 'No matter what your mother says, I'm proud of you and your accomplishments.' Now, I'm so sorry to have wasted your time with updating you on my life. And oh, by the way, you _are_ gonna see my name on the news tomorrow, anyway. I was too busy 'fighting crime' at a school."

Aaron hung up, giving his mother no further information. He looked down his balcony at the illuminated pool's shimmering water. He thought about the day. How the two girls said that they would 'share' him. How he discovered how distant he felt to Lilah. How much fun he'd had with Sam and Lilah trying on clothes— actually relaxing. The rush he got defeating criminals... The dead child. He began to sob to himself. He got up and went inside, found his bed, and collapsed on it. That night, he cried himself to sleep.

Aaron found himself back at the school. He was sitting at a desk listening to a teacher babble on about how to multiply by four. Aaron looked down at his worksheet. He seemed to have completed it a while ago. He looked at the boy next to him. He was deep in thought, poking a pencil at the first question, which sat unanswered. Aaron sighed and closed his eyes. The teacher's monotonous tone hypnotized him in a way. Suddenly, he was jolted by a loud crash as the classroom door flew open and slammed against the wall. Everyone jumped as a man ran in with a gun and aimed at Aaron's head. He had an 'M' on his uniform. Aaron calmly said, "It's because I'm a hybrid, isn't it?" A loud bang rang out as a bullet pierced the side of Aaron's head.

Aaron lurched into a sitting position in his bed. He looked out of his hotel window to see that it was early morning. Aaron got out of bed, brushed his teeth, and got undressed to take a shower. He stared at his chest in the mirror. There were two purple spots where the bullets hit his shirt. Sick of seeing the wounds, he left the mirror and took a shower. He never turned the water past the coldest setting. For some unknown reason, Aaron was hell-bent on torturing himself with the freezing icicles smacking against his skin. He felt the need to punish himself for letting his mother, and probably his father down. He had failed them. But he knew he had to do it.

His small journey made him feel more independent than ever. Now, he was going to throw it all away and cut it short.

Aaron finished his shower and put his muscle tank top on, along with his swim trunks. He grabbed his phone and the piece of paper. He dialed the number and it was answered almost immediately.

 _"Made your decision?"_

As Aaron stared out of his window and into the vast landscape of trees and the shrunken town of Zanesville in the distance, he opened his mouth to speak.

"When do I start?"


	19. Chapter Six: Deep Holes and High Peaks

**Chapter Six: Deep Holes Lead to High Peaks**

Aaron began the day by meditating on his balcony. He had placed a soft green towel down and was resting on it, displaying a perfect lotus position. He let the soft wind blow his apprehensions towards the sky, leaving him with only the concentration on his breathing. His inhales were deep, desperate attempts to latch on to energy and power while his exhales were sighs of relief, making room for more power. And so it went on, for hours as the sun began to peak over the tall trees. The blue Aura pulsed with a newfound determination. A determination to write its own story and pave its own path. Aaron was eager to start his life.

It's just a number. It just signifies a birth in terms of 365. Numbers aren't everything. The immeasurables are what signifies maturity. Aaron knew that. He believed that he was big enough for the task. He had all the smarts, all the will, and all the power needed to live his life. He knew that he was ready. His new life started that upcoming Monday.

Near ten in the morning, Aaron opened his eyes, allowing for the Aura to swarm through and around him. His crimson eyes screamed determination. He instinctively searched for his oak tree, but soon remembered that he was not home. He was at a hotel. Ever since he was young, he meditated, and after every meditation, he would release the energy onto that tree. Now, he had nothing. He would be forced to bottle the energy up. He had never kept the energy before, so it felt strange to him. It was as if he was being statically charged. He felt tingly as his hair stood on end. But he felt powerful. He felt indestructible, untouchable, undefeatable. 'I wonder if this makes me stronger than if I just release it.'

Determined to work off some of the energy, Aaron stood on the balcony railing, tightroping it to the corner, where it cornered off and turned back for the building. Sam's balcony was just a few feet away, but the fall was a lot farther. Aaron didn't care. He mindlessly leapt with incredible power and strength to the other balcony. He landed squarely on the railing, just like he had leapt from. He looked into the balcony door and saw Sam lying in bed, looking at her phone. Aaron tapped on the glass, to which Sam looked over surprisedly and motioned for him to come in.

Aaron slid the door opened and said, "Good morning."

Sam smiled and said, "Morning! How did you get onto my balcony and why are you glowing blue?"

Aaron looked down at himself and said, "Well, I meditated, then jumped over."

Sam chuckled and asked, "Why?"

"I don't know, just needed to work off some energy. I do need to talk to you both, though."

Sam nodded and got out of bed. She was wearing a thin shirt and underwear.

Aaron looked away and said, "You need to warn me before you go and do something like that!"

She blushed and said, "Oh, sorry. Let me get some clothes on."

She got some clothes from her bag and went to the bathroom to change. She returned with one of her new outfits on. The two walked over to Lilah's door and knocked.

Lilah answered it and said, _"Hello. Are we ready to head out? And why are you glowing?"_

Aaron said, "That's what I wanted to talk to you both about. After you both went behind the caution tape, Officer Rethers asked me to join the police. Since you guys want to relax for awhile and my dad is being searched for already, I have decided to accept it… Oh, and I meditated, that's why."

The two girls squealed in happiness and hugged Aaron, easily feeling his muscles through his tank top. Aaron groaned in pain, as Lilah was pressing up against his bruises. They quickly withdrew the hug and said, "Sorry," as they blushed.

Aaron sighed and said, "I knew that this tank top was too much. Anyway, I start on Monday so we have a few days to kick back and relax. I am gonna go make sure that we can stay at this hotel for a lot longer, then I'm gonna go to the pool. Anyone wanna join me?"

Both girls nodded. Aaron left and went down to the lobby. As he approached the receptionist, a small middle-aged woman, she looked over to him and said, "Ah! Mr. Jonas! Enjoying your stay? And, um, you're glowing blue."

Aaron smiled politely and said, "Yes, thank you. Yeah, I know I'm glowing. I just finished meditating. Now, I have a question."

Everyone in the room was staring at the bioluminescent teenager, but Aaron managed to pay no mind to them.

She replied, "Ask away."

"It turns out that we are going to be staying here for a long time. Is that alright?"

She thought about it and said, "Let me check."

She pulled up the bookings for the next month. Two of the rooms that they were staying in were booked.

"It appears that we will have to find you three another room. We have one large suite that is almost never booked on the top floor. It has three beds. We would have to put all three of you into that room, would that be alright?"

Aaron smiled and said, "That's perfect. How much would it cost."

The receptionist leaned closer to Aaron and whispered, "Look, there have been rumors about your father. I am a huge fan of his and am deeply saddened by his disappearance. That man was a true Revolutionary. This is the least that we could do for you, Mr. Jonas. Enjoy your stay." She handed him the keycard and said, "You may move into the new room today or tomorrow, if you'd like."

Aaron nodded and said, "Alright, Thank you."

Aaron returned to his room and emptied his pockets. He left his room and took the elevator back down to the lobby, where he walked out a back door leading to the pool. It wasn't a particularly hot day, and it was lunchtime, so the only people at the pool were Sam and Lilah, who both had on one-piece swimsuits.

"Hey guys! Where do you get a towel?"

Lilah raised her hand up out of the water and pointed over to the wall, _"On that rack, there."_

Aaron walked over and grabbed one and returned to a sunbathing chair by the poolside. He found Sam and Lilah's shoes and shirts laying on it. He removed his shoes and socks and placed them by theirs'. He then grabbed the bottom of his tank top and slid it off over his body, much to the girls' enjoyment.

He walked over to the diving board at the end of the pool and asked, "Who's up for a cannonball contest?"

Lilah, who was wading in the opposite end along with Sam, said, "No thanks, Aaron. We're having plenty of fun over here."

Aaron said, "Alright, suit yourself."

He got onto the board and began to bounce. After three bounces, he lunged forward, tucking his hands around his legs, forming a ball. He leaned his head back, causing his body to roll backwards in midair. Once he made contact with the water, a loud smack was heard and the water was quickly displaced. The waves he had formed exploded outward with vigor, creating the loud splashing sound as the water rippled outward. Aaron sank to the bottom. Feeling his body touch it, he kicked upward, finding newfound momentum from his push on the bottom of the pool, and swam back up to the surface. Once his face left the water, he took a breath and removed his wet hair from over his eyes.

The two girls giggled and said, "Ten out of ten! Bravo!" Lilah added, _"Your Aura glow is gone, though."_

Aaron began swimming over to them as they both jokingly and sarcastically clapped for his performance. Once Aaron reached them, he placed his feet on the bottom of the shallow end of the pool. Both girls made an attempt to look Aaron in the eyes, but they ultimately just fell to his chest. Aaron sighed and thought, 'This is going to be an interesting part of my life.'

As the night fell on the trio, they exited the pool and gathered their things. They all walked back up together to their hotel rooms and as he got to his door, Aaron froze.

"Uh, I forgot my room key. It's inside the room."

Sam facepalmed and replied with, "How did you possibly manage that, idiot?"

Aaron chuckled and said, "I have an idea. Sam, open your door."

Sam walked over to her room and slid the key past the sensor. The door clicked and she pushed it forward, opening it. Aaron entered her room and went to her balcony. He got up on the railing again, like he did that morning. Something was different, though. His Aura was a little drained and he didn't have as much strength. He felt unsure of whether he could make the jump or not. Nevertheless, he maintained balance and sprinted forward, balancing on the slim railing all the while, and leapt high into the air. He landed on his balcony with the grace of a Greninja and simply opened his sliding balcony door. He looked over to see Sam and Lilah on Sam's balcony staring back at him. They had dumbfounded expressions on their faces. Aaron smiled and said, "Thanks," leaving them alone as he entered his room to wind down for the day.

That following Monday, Aaron awoke to a buzzing on his phone. The faint buzzing grew louder as Aaron groggily removed it from underneath his pillow to look at it. The time was four o'clock. The alarm set on his phone told him that he had to wake up for his new job. He turned off the incessant buzzing alarm and looked to the side, where a Zoroark peacefully snoozed, almost purring with every slow exhale. He looked to the other side of him to see Sam lying idle, snoring softly as she breathed. They had moved into their new room, where there were three beds, but for some reason, Sam and Lilah insisted on sharing the large king bed with Aaron. Aaron had tried to refuse, but every night since they changed rooms, the two would crawl into bed with him. Since then, Aaron had slept with his shirt on. Aaron squeezed out from between them and stealthily to get ready for work.

Aaron crept over to the living room, where his bag was. He had gone to the laundromat a few days prior so his clothes would be ready for work. Aaron grabbed his outfit, which included black athletic shorts and a red t-shirt, and slipped into the bathroom to shower. As he slid off his old shirt, he heard a creak behind him. Aaron sighed audibly. Without even turning, he said, "Sam, don't watch me undress please." The door closed quickly and frantic footsteps could be heard scampering away. Aaron walked to the door and turned the lock. He continued undressing and showered.

Ready to head out, he grabbed his phone, room key, and necklace and headed out. While riding the elevator down, Aaron pulled out his phone and opened up a text from Officer Rethers. He had sent the address of the Zanesville Police Department's station. Smiling, Aaron left the hotel and began to sprint down the sidewalk and into the city. He eventually came across an old looking brick establishment with various police cars parked out front. The building was illuminated by the nearby street lights, but other than that, the surroundings were dark. He walked through the doors and was immediately greeted by a smiling Lucario.

 _"Welcome, Aaron! There's just a few things for you to sign and then we'll be headed out for the day!"_ Officer Rethers approached Aaron and hugged him tightly.

"For a police officer, you are quite the hugger."

Officer Rethers chuckled and said, _"We're not all hardasses."_ He ended the hug and said, _"Now, follow me into the break room. I'll get you some coffee while you fill these out."_ He held out the papers and Aaron took them.

They walked to the break room, which was a ways down a hall, past a few offices and the commons area. Aaron took a chair at a table and laid the papers down. He looked around for a pen.

Unable to find one, he asked, "Officer Rethers, may I borrow a pen?"

Officer Rethers pulled out a small pen from one of his pockets and held it out to Aaron, _"Aaron, just call me Pulse."_

Aaron took the pen and smiled, "Alright, Pulse. Thank you." He looked at the pen. It was shaped like a little miniature pistol and the head of the pen looked like a bullet firing out of the chamber. "Aww, what a cute little pen," Aaron mindlessly commented. Pulse smiled and chuckled as Aaron began to read over and sign the documents.

Meanwhile, Pulse was over at the counter fiddling with the coffee maker. Eventually, Aaron finished signing. Just as he did, Pulse poured the brewed coffee into two cups.

He asked Aaron, _"Would you like coffee creamer?"_

Aaron looked up from his finished documents and replied, "No thanks, I prefer mine black."

Pulse nodded as he walked over to Aaron and placed the cup beside him. Aaron impulsively picked the cup up to take a sip.

 _"Be careful! It's h—"_

Aaron quickly reacted as the scalding coffee charred his lips and tongue. Nearly spilling his coffee, he gasped out, "Hot!"

Pulse chuckled at the sight of his partner doing something stupid. After Aaron calmed down, he joined in on the laughter.

A little while later, the two went to the chief's briefing. They took a seat, along with all of the other officers, who were a combination of people and Pokémon, and awaited instructions. The chief entered the room, and Aaron saw that he, too, was a Lucario.

The chief commanded in a low, booming tone, _"Alright! Listen up! We have a new addition to the force. I would like to welcome Officer Aaron Jonas."_

Aaron stood from his seat and shyly and subtly waved at the officers around him. Most of them smiled back at him, but some weren't so nice as to give the small child any of their gratitude. Aaron sat back down, waiting for the chief to speak again.

 _"Officer Jonas is the youngest man—boy—to ever be admitted into the police force, at just thirteen years old."_

A few people clapped and Aaron smiled faintly at their congratulations.

 _"Now, down to business. The interrogators got minimal information on this 'M' Gang. We have no clue how big it is, or who is heading it. So today, it's all-hands-on-deck to find information about this gang. That's priority one. Dismissed."_

Everyone rose and headed out of the room. Pulse walked towards the chief and said, _"Hey, Dad. Could I take today as kind of an orientation day for Aaron. I need to introduce him to all of the things in the car and on his uniform."_

The older Lucario faced his son and said, _"Sure, but try to head out and patrol the highway at around ten o'clock."_

Pulse nodded and turned to face Aaron, _"Alright, let's head to the lockers, your locker is already filled with your things."_

Aaron followed Pulse into another room, where he found his locker with a keypad on it.

 _"It's 8-4-2-1."_

Aaron entered the code and the locker door swung opened. Aaron grabbed the vest out and put it on. It was a perfect fit.

 _"Alright, now put your uniform on. If you want to take off the clothes that you have on already for the uniform, there's a bathroom around the corner."_

Aaron smiled and said, "No thanks, might as well just keep this stuff on underneath it."

Aaron took his shoes off and put on black pants, complete with a pistol holster at the side. He continued with the black shoes. They appeared like dress shoes, but the inside felt like state-of-the-art athletic tennis shoes. He continued by putting on his white button-up shirt over his vest. He tucked the bottom of the shirt into his pants and finished with the belt.

 _"Good. Now, you will get a badge on Friday. They had to wait until you confirmed the job by signing the papers before they would make one."_

Aaron nodded and said, "That's fine."

Pulse took something from his side and held it out to Aaron. _"Now, a thirteen year old operating a firearm is illegal, but one of the papers that you have signed has waived you of this, so don't worry."_ Aaron cautiously took the pistol from Pulse and placed it in his holster.

"Thank you."

Pulse smiled and said, _"No, thank you."_

They moved on to outside in the parking lot, where Pulse took Aaron to his cruiser. Aaron hopped into the passenger's seat and began to feel overwhelmed by the plethora of buttons and switches on the dashboard of the vehicle. Pulse climbed into the driver's seat and chuckled at Aaron's befuddled manner.

Pulse spent the next hour or so explaining the buttons, but ended his spiel with, _"You won't need to use any of those though, I just thought you should know what they do."_

Aaron sweatdropped and asked, "So what do I need to know?"

Pulse pointed at a slim-looking device at Aaron's feet. _"That is a high-tech holographic touchscreen laptop. It is linked with Dispatch as well as every other officers's in the area. Your job is to be the researcher, if you will. This can range from finding the location and directions to a criminal escaping on foot to finding past offenses when we pull someone over. You're the factman."_

Aaron picked the tube-like object off of the ground and placed it in his lap. He clicked a button on the side, and a bright display beamed out of a tiny slit at the top like a projector, suspending the screen image in midair. Aaron had seen technology like it before, but he had never gotten the chance to use it. When he was still in school, all they had were mini tablets. Nothing of this calibre.

 _"Go ahead, try it out."_

Aaron realized that he had been staring at the display's home screen for too long, and snapped out of his trance. He touched the hologram where it said 'Chrome.' The holographic beam of light broke when Aaron's hand moved in front of it, but when he removed his finger, the hologram restored itself like a laser and launched the search engine.

 _"The sensors within it can tell the distance at which the holographic field was broken. It then measures that distance up the hologram and performs its own left click, where your finger was. It's super cool."_

Aaron only nodded in agreement.

 _"I'm gonna let you take that home tonight to try it out and get comfortable with it. I need you to be ready for our first real day tomorrow, but for now, let's just patrol the highway."_

Aaron replied with, "Alright," and buckled his seatbelt. Pulse buckled his as well and drove off.

When they got there, they stationed themselves just off of the highway, with Pulse using a lidar-powered detector to measure the speeds of passing cars as Aaron sat in the car playing with his new toy.

 _"I know that you young people are best at picking up the gist of technology the fastest, so I felt that you would be perfect at using that as well as being a great and strong officer,"_ Pulse said to Aaron as he remained focused on the cars and the lidar.

Aaron looked up from the laptop and said, "Thanks, Pulse," as he smiled at the complement. "In fact, I think I understand this thing fully now."

Pulse stopped paying attention and lowered his detector. _"Holy cow! Well, if you feel confident enough already, there's a test I need you to take on there to test your knowledge of it. Don't worry, it's just a way for us to see how much you know about it before we actually do anything with it."_ Pulse took it from Aaron's hands and launched a test application on the laptop. It opened and he handed it back to Aaron. _"There, take that test."_

Aaron stared at the screen and chuckled to himself.

 _"What's so funny?"_

Aaron looked up over to Pulse who was still standing just outside the car and said, "I knew that I got the hang of it because I already took it."

Pulse's eyes widened and his jaw dropped, _"There's no way! That test took me two hours! We've only been here for twenty minutes!"_

Aaron shied away and said in a more hushed tone, "Well, I don't know what to tell you. You want me to log back in and show you?"

Pulse immediately said, _"Yes please, because I can't believe that you've already completed this thing."_

Aaron nodded and typed in his information into the login screen of the testing application with extreme precision and accuracy, moving his fingers in and out of the hologram where the keyboard appeared on it. Pulse just watched him as his doubts proved false. Aaron turned the display towards Pulse to display his score.

 _"Oh my Arceus."_

The screen showed a perfect score.

"What?" Aaron asked shyly. He never liked having so much attention onto him for his 'accomplishments.'

 _"We're, uh, gonna take a lunch break. I'm gonna take you to my favorite restaurant."_

Aaron was never one to refuse food so he said, "Alright."

Pulse got back into the car and they drove back towards town. Aaron thought to himself, 'It's a little early for lunch.'

They arrived at the restaurant, which was situated in the heart of town. As Aaron and Pulse left their left the car and began walking up to the door, Aaron inspected the sign. 'The Double B.' Under it, it read, 'The Finest Burgers and Beer in Zanesville.' As they entered, the customers glanced at the pair in uniform and quickly went back to what they were doing awkwardly, as if they felt that they would get into trouble.

Aaron turned to Pulse and asked, "Is this how all people treat you when you are in your uniform?"

Pulse chuckled and said, _"Yeah. You get used to it. Anyway, it's the ones who_ don't _react that are the questionable characters."_

Aaron thought about what Pulse had said as a woman in a waiter's uniform walked up to them. "Hey, Officer Rethers! Welcome back!"

Pulse smiled and said, _"Hello, Julie. Table for two, please."_

Julie replied with, "Certainly!" as she grabbed two menus, "Who's your friend?" she continued as she began walking and showing them to their table.

 _"He's my new partner. This is Officer Aaron Jonas."_

They arrived at their booth and the two slid into opposite ends. Julie continued, "This young man? He doesn't look a day over fifteen!" Aaron's face turned red.

 _"Well, that's because he's thirteen."_

Julie seemed shocked, understandably, and with a loss for words, she concluded, "Well, I'll be your waiter for today. It was nice meeting you, Aaron. May I call you Aaron? I look forward to chatting with you more. Now, what would you two like to drink?"

 _"The usual."_

Aaron glanced over at Pulse confusedly and said, "I'll just take water, please."

Julie wrote it down and said, "Alright, I'll be right back with your drinks," and she walked away.

Aaron turned his attention to Pulse who leaned forward into the table to get closer to Aaron. He said, _"We're here because I need to talk to you about something."_

Aaron leaned forward as well, intrigued at what his new partner was going to say.

 _"Don't get me wrong, I love this job, but I feel that there's too many restrictions to it, you know?"_

Aaron politely nodded his head, not really understanding what was being said.

 _"So, do you know my dad? You know, the chief of police. I'm going to bring something back up with him. I've been asking to branch off and start my own secret spy agency for awhile, but he always shoots my idea down. He always said that I'd never accomplish anything alone. That's where you come in. So, are you in?"_

Aaron didn't say anything for a second, but then spoke up, "So, I'm just a pawn? Your ticket to a better life?" There was a hint of venom in his tone.

 _"No! You have it all wrong! I'm just saying that with your help, we can go to the next level. We can ditch the stupid car and restrictions of a police officer and actually get some real work done."_

"This is more dangerous, though isn't it? Is it even legal?"

Pulse seemed to have it all figured out and formulated. _"My dad has connections into government agencies such as PERA, the Pokémon Equal Rights Association. He can legalize our operation."_

"It's still dangerous."

 _"Aaron, you went into a school shooting and took out four gang members by yourself. I think you are fine."_

Aaron thought about if for a second and then replied with, "Alright. I'm in," and leaned back, signifying that the conversation was over.

Pulse did the same as Julie returned with their drinks, a water and some mixture of soft drinks. They both said thank you in unison and looked at each other with smirks on their faces. With every second, they were more like twins.

Ignoring them, Julie said, "What would you like to eat?"

Aaron said, "Sorry, I haven't looked at the menu yet."

Julie smiled and said, "That's alright, I'll come back. Take your time," and she left.

Aaron opened his menu, but his vision blurred. His mind wasn't on what he was going to eat. It was focusing on what in the world he had gotten himself into with this job.

Later, the two left and returned to the station at around two o'clock in the afternoon. Pulse was eager to ask for his father's permission to branch out. Although, Aaron thought that Pulse was going in over his head a little. 'For a grown Lucario, that guy sure has a childlike atmosphere to him.' Pulse turned into the parking lot and parked. He wasted no time jumping out of the car. Meanwhile, Aaron opened the car door, and left the car at a normal pace. By the time Aaron shut the car door, the energetic Pulse was impatiently shifting his weight between his feet as he held the door opened for Aaron. Aaron entered and said, "Thank you." Pulse quickly closed the door and jogged ahead of Aaron towards his father's office. The man who was at the front desk sat up and stared at the running Pulse with a questioning look. Aaron turned towards him and simply said, "Don't worry about it," as he followed after his partner.

When they were both in the office, the chief closed the door and asked, _"Son, I already know what you are going to ask me. I can sense it in your energetic and hopeful Aura."_ He sighed and turned towards Aaron. _"I do apologize about his behavior. Oh! But where are my manners? You don't even know my name yet. My name is Rush."_ Aaron shook his hand and took a seat along with Pulse.

 _"So? He's perfect for it!"_

Rush sighed and said, _"I got word from our interrogators. Three of the four men of the 'M' Gang have committed suicide."_

Aaron gave a confused look to Rush, "With all due respect, Sir. What does that have anything to do with Pulse's proposition?"

Rush smiled. Then, he replied with, _"I'm glad that you asked! The fourth one was found attempting to hang himself. Before he could, the guards took him out of the noose and forced answers out of him. All we've gotten so far is that they hate Pokémon. Which means that we just so happen to need highly qualified officers to become agents."_

Pulse's face brightened up. He knew what his father would say.

 _"So, you two. I'm gonna talk to my good friend down in D.C. and explain the situation. I am going to request that a new branch of the PERA be created with you two at the head. But, you must know that this is going to be a lot more dangerous and risky than being a police officer. And in times like these, that really says something."_

Pulse jumped out of his chair and rushed Rush. Pulse enveloped his father in a big hug. _"Thank you. I won't let you down."_

The hug broke and Rush said, _"Now, I'm gonna let you guys go home early. Report here early tomorrow morning for news about whether or not you two have been accepted. Do not tell this to anyone. Have a good afternoon."_

Pulse said his thanks as he and Aaron left Rush's office. They both went to the locker room and took off their uniform and placed them neatly in their lockers.

 _"You need a ride home, Aaron?"_

Aaron slightly sighed and replied with, "I don't really have a home, but my hotel is nearby. I can just jog back."

Pulse smiled, but left the two in silence as they walked out of the building. As they left, Pulse spoke up and said, _"Aaron, I can't thank you enough."_

Aaron looked over at Pulse and asked, "Thank me for what?"

Pulse sighed, but maintained a smile. _"For being my partner. For allowing me to follow my dream, even though it meant that you would have to be involved. For just being you, I guess."_

"What does that even mean?"

Pulse stopped walking and faced Aaron. Aaron did the same. _"Aaron, you are not like other people, do you understand? You are different. I can't put my finger on it exactly, but there's something about you and many other hybrids that stand out."_

Aaron didn't know how to respond, so he instead slowly nodded and said, "Thanks."

Pulse continued walking to his car, which was in another, farther away parking lot than the police cruiser parking lot. He turned his head and called behind him, _"I'll see you tomorrow morning! Have a good night!"_

Aaron who was still standing still, plainly yelled, "You too." He then used some of his Aura to speed himself up as he briskly jogged back to the hotel as the afternoon sun beat down onto the sidewalk.

He made it to the hotel in no time at all, barely breaking a sweat. As he stepped into the elevator which would take him to his floor, another woman entered. She wore a nice suit and had long. Straight brown hair, some of which was tucked behind her ears and the thin glasses that she was wearing. Aaron politely smiled and asked her, "Which floor are you going to?" The woman said nothing as she slightly nudged Aaron out of the way and hit the number three on the panel of the elevator herself. Slightly shocked at the rude gesture the woman made, he just kept silent as the doors closed and the elevator slowly raised itself, beeping as it passed every floor. Eventually, it reached the third floor and opened its doors. The woman briskly walked out and towards one of the room's doors. Aaron had a sense inside of him that he could not explain, but something within him made him stop the elevator doors from closing as he analyzed which room she went to. 'Floor Three, first door on the left,' he thought as she knocked on the door. The way in which she did it seemed rather strange to Aaron. 'One, a-two, and-three,' Aaron thought, 'I am sure glad that I took band.' Aaron could see the door barely pry open as the woman quickly slipped inside, closing the door behind her. He then let the elevator doors close, bringing him up to the top floor.

When he got to his door, he scanned his room key and opened the door. He was met by Sam, who was sitting on the couch watching the television. She turned her attention towards Aaron and exclaimed, "Welcome back!" as she got up and ran towards Aaron, who was still at the entrance to his room. Sam hugged Aaron, but quickly let go of him to return to her movie.

Aaron, a little flustered, stammered out, "It's nice to see you too. Where's Lilah?"

"In the kitchen," Sam monotonously answered, never removing her gaze from the television screen.

Aaron walked over the kitchen area, which was tiny, but manageable. Lilah was over at the stove with multiple pots, pans, and other cooking utensils scattered around her on the countertop. She had an apron on and was stirring something in a pan that smelled really good. For a second, he stood at the doorway, quietly watching Lilah, who was concentrated on cooking, stirring, and moving the pan with the handle in her hands as she kept it over the stove.

He eventually spoke up, "Whatcha cookin'?"

Lilah's eyes widened as she jumped slightly. Her hand had jerked backward, causing some of the contents within the pan to fly out of the pan and land on the floor.

 _"Oh my Arceus, Aaron! Don't startle me like that!"_ She gave Aaron a look that had both embarrassment and frustration on her face. She went over to the paper towels and grabbed a wad full in her hands.

Aaron stepped forward and said, "No, let me get it. It was my fault." Lilah gave the paper towels and Aaron bent down and scooped up all of the food off of the floor. He then walked over to the trashcan and threw the wasted food into it.

 _"Thank you."_

Aaron stood back up and smiled at Lilah. "No problem. I guess I know what you're cooking now."

Lilah, unable to stay angry, smiled back.

"It smells delicious, by the way. Where'd you get all of the ingredients?"

Lilah went back to tend to the rest of the food in the pan, resuming her stirring. _"I got bored and decided to take a trip over to a little market downtown earlier today. I am just frying the rice at the moment. I also got different vegetables to put into it. It should be ready in a few minutes. Anyway, I'm glad you're back. It was so boring without seeing you all day long."_

Aaron frowned slightly, "Tell me when it's done, I have something to discuss with the both of you while we eat."

Lilah gave a confused look and said, _"Well, now I'm impatient. I wanna hear what you have to say. Go away before I pry it out of you."_

Aaron chuckled and left the room. Alone, Lilah calmy stirred the fried rice as she cracked a smile. She was thinking about Aaron.

Meanwhile, Aaron moved over to the couch where Sam was sitting and took a seat. He stared at the television, which was displaying a romantic comedy of sorts. Aaron didn't particularly like rom-coms, so he tried to spark up some kind of conversation. "How's it been going today?" Aaron asked. Immediately, a transfixed Sam shushed him. Aaron emotionlessly turned his attention back towards the television, attempting to find some entertainment out of the film if he couldn't talk to his friend. After a few minutes, Lilah entered, balancing three bowls of rice in the arms as she approached the small coffee table in front of Sam and Aaron. She gently laid two of them down onto the table and took hers into her hands and sat down. Aaron smiled at Lilah again as he grabbed his bowl from the table, along with the television remote. He pressed the red button at the top and the television turned off.

Sam turned to Aaron and angrily said, "I was watching that!"

Unaffected, Aaron retorted, "I have something to tell you both."

Sam didn't reply, but instead grabbed her bowl from the table and positioned herself on the couch to where she was facing Aaron. Lilah, who was sitting in an adjacent chair did the same, leaning in closer, eager to hear what he had to say.

He continued, _"Pulse and I are applying for a job with the government. It's secret and I'm not even supposed to be telling you guys this, but I just felt that you should know. Personally, I didn't ask for this job, but I'm willing to do it if it means that people will be safe. If we get the job, we will be investigating the 'M' Gang. This is more dangerous than being a police officer and will require me to be gone for long periods of time, sometimes overnight or something. I'm just warning you."_

Sam was the first to speak up, "How's the pay? I mean, if you're gonna be doing so much work, you might as well get paid a lot."

Aaron plainly answered, "I am not sure. We never asked."

Lilah lightly spoke up, _"It sounds dangerous. Are you sure you'll be safe? I just get worried sick about things like this."_

Aaron smiled warmly and said, "Lilah, I think I'll be alright, but thank you. Now, nobody speak of this to anyone. It's top secret."

Sam chuckled and mumbled under her breath, "Huh, a thirteen year old trusted with the world."

Aaron heard her and said, "Now I wouldn't say that. I guess that they are just impressed with something about me."

Silence followed as the three ate their fried rice. The only words spoken were at the end when Aaron said, "I really enjoyed that. Thanks, Lilah."

Lilah took the bowls from them and moved to the kitchen to do the dishes. As she walked away, she said, _"I'm glad you liked it! I love to cook, so it was really fun to do."_

Aaron sighed as he rubbed his eyes. He slowly rose from the couch and went to the bedroom. As he laid down, his fatigue caught up to him. 'I have dug myself into quite a hole with this one, haven't I?' he rhetorically asked his subconscious as it pulled him off to sleep.


	20. Chapter Seven: Unfinished Profession

**Chapter Seven: Unfinished Profession**

As Aaron got ready for the work, the sun was still hiding below the Zanesville horizon. It was nearly three o'clock in the morning as Aaron brushed his teeth in the bathroom. He yawned loudly, accidentally inhaling some toothpaste as he did. He choked violently and spit out the rest of it in his mouth. After he recovered, he looked at himself in the bathroom mirror above the sink and chuckled at what he saw. Dark bags lined the bottoms of his eyes and toothpaste covered his lips. 'I am so pathetic sometimes,' he thought to himself as he resumed brushing his teeth.

A flurry of thoughts accompanied his pitch-black jog to the police station. First, he thought about whether or not he was admitted into the PERA with Pulse. Then, as he turned a corner on the sidewalk, he thought about what he would be doing in the PERA. His imagination drew fantasies within his mind: him punching a criminal in the face, him saving a poor lost Pokémon, then it shifted to him shooting a blue-haired man in the face. Aaron tripped over his feet and tumbled to the sidewalk. His body skidded to a stop. Aaron ached in pain, but thankfully, he had fallen as gracefully as possible. No scratches or bruises would follow. He slowly got up and continued jogging, blocking out the thought of murdering anyone.

By the time Aaron arrived at the police station, it was three-thirty in the morning. As he approached the doors, a familiar Lucario exited his car and joined up beside him.

 _"Good morning, Aaron. Sleep well?"_

"I slept decently, how about you, Pulse?"

Pulse looked over to Aaron and chuckled. _"You'll learn quickly that you don't get much sleep at this kind of job, but all things considered, I did. Thank you."_

Aaron silently nodded and opened the door to the station, allowing for Pulse to enter. Pulse smiled at Aaron as he walked in, and Aaron soon followed behind him. They both walked to Rush's office and knocked on the door. A loud uproar of snoring ceased beyond the door and shuffling around followed. An exhausted looking Lucario answered the door and eyed Aaron and Pulse groggily.

Pulse smiled and said, _"Good morning, Dad."_

Rush rubbed his eyes and said, _"Good morning, you two. Please come in."_ Rush backed up and let the two enter his office as he closed the door. Pulse and Aaron both took seats in front of Rush's desk and Rush plopped into his chair and yawned. _"I apologize to you both for being so tired this morning. I stayed here overnight to catch up on some work, but fell asleep in my chair. Needless to say, I didn't sleep very soundly last night."_ Pulse and Aaron nodded as Rush continued, _"There's good news for you both, though. The PERA has accepted you both into a new squadron. There are four of you and you will meet the other two tomorrow. But for now, you are both relieved of your duties as police officers. Congratulations, you two!"_

Aaron blankly asked, "What will we be doing in this new job?"

Rush frowned and replied with, _"I'm sorry, but not even I know that. All I know is that you are going to be investigating this 'M' Gang."_ Aaron nodded and slouched in his chair. Rush could sense Aaron's apprehensions about his new jobs and said, _"You know, I looked at the data from your computer test. I was astounded by your score. No one has ever gotten a perfect or completed it faster than you have."_

Aaron smiled weakly and said, "Thank you, sir."

 _"No need for formalities, Aaron. Especially because you both hold a higher rank than I do now."_

Aaron thought about it for a second. 'I am a teenager, have had a job for two days, and already work for the government.' Aaron leaned forward and joined his hands together, entangling his fingers between the others. "Rush, why me?"

Rush and Pulse were both taken aback by the question. Rush asked, _"What do you mean?"_

Aaron sighed and said, "Of all the people in this world, what makes me so special? I'm just a teenager."

Rush thought about what he was going to say, then said, _"Because, Aaron, astonishingly, you are superhuman in every way. You are super powerful and stealthy, all thanks to your Lucario side. You are also insanely intelligent, thanks to your human side and your father being who he is."_

Aaron's mind disregarded everything that Rush has said and focused on his father. 'He's still missing.' Aaron looked down at the floor and continued, _"Thank you, but I am not like my father. I'm not as smart as him… and I wouldn't leave my family."_

A depressing silence befell the room. Then, Rush spoke up, _"Take the rest of the day off, you two. I apologize for waking you both really early in the morning."_

Pulse chuckled and retorted, _"Likewise."_

Aaron quickly got up and went for the door, eager to take his mind off of everything. Pulse followed. As Aaron turned the knob on the door, Rush said, _"Oh yeah, Aaron,"_ Aaron stopped turning the knob and looked back at Rush, _"I want you to have this. You can use it for your new job. You know how to use it like an expert anyway."_ Rush held out a carbon fiber black tube outwards towards Aaron. It was a brand-new holographic laptop.

Aaron walked over to Rush, took it from his hand, and said, "Thank you, Rush."

Rush smiled and said, _"No problem, come back tomorrow afternoon at one o'clock to meet your new members. They are flying over today."_

Aaron and Pulse nodded and left. Pulse had a huge smile strewn across his muzzle while Aaron remain stone-faced, unsure how to feel.

As they walked out, Pulse nudged Aaron's shoulder and said, _"Can you believe it?!"_

"I know right? There's no reason why we had to come in so early in the morning just to hear that we were accepted!" Aaron joked.

Pulse happily snickered at his partner's joke as they walked out.

The tone of the conversation quickly shifted again as Aaron looked at the overjoyed Lucario. "I don't think I belong in this field."

Pulse changed his happy look to a confused one and said, _"What in the world gave you that idea? You were pretty much born for something like this! You are fast, strong, stealthy, and smart."_

"I think my dad needs me more than you need me."

Silence followed as they left the station. Then, Pulse said something that Aaron will never forget. _"I don't mean to be rude, but you father doesn't need anyone. He is just fine on his own. At the turn of the old world to the new one, he had nobody. No human had anyone. Every human alive today who has made it through the transition has proven that they are just fine on their own. See you tomorrow."_

The two parted ways and Aaron walked back to the hotel. The sun was coming up, painting the sky a beautiful orange and purple. Aaron didn't care, his eyes were transfixed on the pale sidewalk beneath his feet, showing him the way back to his hotel. He wished for his childhood back, or at least some fleeting part of it to stay with him. Deep down, he knew that none of it would. He was forever an adult now, and it was his responsibility to survive and ensure that Sam and Lilah would as well. 'I am becoming my father. Way too much responsibility and not enough of me to handle it.' Aaron's eyes began to tear up. He sniffled as he kept walking. He was so distracted that he accidentally bumped into a woman walking in the opposite direction. Aaron lifted his eyes up slightly to look at her and he instinctively said, "Sorry." The woman did nothing as she continued walking away.

Aaron looked back at her and noticed something. 'She is the lady from the elevator.' As he wiped some of his tears away and watched her as she distanced herself from him. Aaron narrowed his eyes and pumped Aura into his arms and legs. He scaled a building beside him and began jumping from rooftop to rooftop in pursuit of the mystery woman, being careful not to damage his new computer. 'What are you hiding?' Aaron kept his eyes fixed on the woman who was walking below, but suddenly, she turned ninety degrees to the right and entered a narrow alleyway. Aaron stopped and peered down over the side of the roof to see what she was doing. The woman suddenly looked around her, seemingly looking for anyone watching her. Once she saw that no one was there, she leapt towards a wall and kicked off with one foot, having the other foot come into contact with the other wall and she did the same. Her momentum lifted her higher up into the air as she continued to wall-jump until she entered a tiny opened window high off of the ground. She moved out of sight to Aaron, who was left dumbfounded that a human could perform such a task. Aaron debated whether or not to follow her in through the window, but instead he backed off and checked the time. Five o'clock. He'd been following her for a lot longer than he had thought. He checked the address of the building and left, continuing back towards his hotel.

It was still early morning by the time he entered his room. Sam and Lilah greeted him with soft snores and murmurs from their bed. Both of them were still asleep. Aaron knew that he needed to get his mind off of everything, but he wasn't the kind of person to sleep his worries away. He laid his computer down and went out to the hotel room's balcony. He sat down on the floor, closed his eyes, and channeled his energy. Usually, it felt slightly tingly to Aaron to build up Aura, but now it just stung. Aaron's breathing sped up significantly and his heart pounded abnormally in his chest. As his panic caught up to him, his heart seemed to burst and then stop all together. The stinging pain moved to his brain as his mind distanced itself from reality. He soon found himself to be dead, lying lifeless on the balcony.

His soul found itself surrounded in a cloud of pure energy. This energy was in the form of pure information and knowledge, like a matrix of sorts. This information remained largely undeciphered however, as it morphed into a rather familiar being. He had yellow-tipped feet which blended to a fine white as you trace them upwards, gray accents at its underbelly, a golden X surrounding its torso, and the most intense red and green eyes in the universe. He was standing tall on his four legs and held his head high, his eyes gazed upward towards the vast nothingness of the sky. Then, all of a sudden, his prideful eyes were laced with fear. He tried to back away but he fell to his knees and passed away like a sick dog. Beside him, was a large copper-colored pendant glowing a deep blue. It began to lose its blue tinge and eventually broke like a mirror. It's remnants cascaded downward dramatically as the entire strange scene faded to white.

Aaron began to stir as he felt a warm, soft sensation upon his lips. He slowly opened his eyes to see Sam with her head pressed against his own. Aaron widened his eyes and pushed Sam off of him. Sam stumbled backwards and had a dumbfounded look upon her face. Her eyes were bloodshot and tears streamed down her cheeks. Aaron breathed heavily in and out as he attempted to understand what was going on.

"I… I was giving you CPR, I swear! I thought I lost you and I was just trying to save you!" Sam fumbled through her words, which were laced with both fear and happiness.

Aaron sat up and smiled. "Thank you, Sam."

Aaron leaned over towards Sam and gave her a hug, which Sam hesitantly returned. They stayed there on the balcony floor for minute or so before Aaron picked himself up and returned inside without another word, leaving Sam alone and confused. Inside, Aaron paced the floor in front of the television, wondering about his vision, his death, and his Aura. None of it made any sense to him. He worked hard to hone his Aura abilities and he had never experienced any pain when it came to manipulating it. He also felt that his death was too calm and quick to be real, like it had been faked on purpose. Then the vision. His pendant. Broken. Why?

He sat on the couch to attempt and stop his restlessness. After a moment of thought and contemplation, he pulled out his phone and called the one woman with answers: his mother. It only rang a few times before she answered.

 _"Hello?"_

"Hey, Mom. So, uh, I just died."

 _"What?!"_

"Sorry! I'm fine, but I can't shake the feeling that it was faked."

 _"Aaron, what the hell are you talking about?"_

"I sat down to meditate and my Aura killed me. While I was dead, I saw Arceus die and my pendant self-destruct. I want to know what the heck I just witnessed."

There was a long pause, and then a sigh on Katie's end. _"Honey, Arceus blessed your pendant. That pendant is worth more than my life."_

"Wait, so when Arceus dies, the pendant is useless?"

Another long pause ensued. _"You could say that. Anyway, how's your job?"_

"Um, you know, it's alright."

 _"Doesn't sound alright."_

"Well, it's just a little confusing right now."

 _"How so?"_

"I can't really say, Mom."

Katie scoffed audibly and mocked, _"You can't tell your mother, who has every right to know, how your job is bothering you?"_

Aaron confidently answered, "Correct."

Katie sighed and said, _"What have you gotten yourself into now, Aaron? I mean, you just died, for Arceus's sake!"_

"Nothing. I have to go. I love you."

 _"I love you too. Stay safe."_

Aaron hung up and then slouched on the couch. 'What did I get myself into?' His eyes began to flutter until they closed completely, locking him into a deep sleep.

Aaron was awoken by Lilah lightly shaking his shoulder. Groggily, he sat up on the couch and rubbed his eyes. Lilah took a seat beside him.

He yawned then asked, "How long have I been out?"

Lilah had a concerned look on her face. She said, _"It's been awhile. It's time for dinner now, if that tells you anything. Are you alright?"_

Aaron rubbed his head, attempting to think of the correct answer to her question. "Honestly, I have no clue. Could you get Sam for me?"

Lilah shifted slightly on the couch and answered, _"Sure, she's sitting out on the balcony. I'll get her."_ She stood, having her black fur brush Aaron's arm slightly, generating a small tickling sensation. She then went out to the balcony, leaving Aaron in a brief silence.

His mind trailed off quickly. He focused on the pendant, which hung idly around his neck and rested on his chest. He reached up and rubbed the faded figure on the one side of the metal. He had noted that the old man on it, Lincoln, was an old man from long ago in the old world. His teachers taught him that he was an important man in terms of the old world and an advocate for equality. He also noted more obscure, irrelevant details of the man from his online textbook that he read too far ahead in. The illustrations showed a man who had jet black hair, but gray by the time he was assassinated. His eyes demonstrated a burden of sorts that this man seemed to hold. It was as if the weight of the world was upon his shoulders. Like everything this single, insignificant man said could decide the fate for millions of people and Pokémon.

Lincoln's dark hair reminded Aaron of Lilah's fur sometimes. His mind then shifted onto Lilah. He subconsciously formed opinions of her out of thin air. Friendly, kind-hearted, loving. Beautiful. Aaron snapped out of his trance as Sam and Lilah entered and took their seats.

"You wanted to see me, Aaron?"

Aaron sighed and looked at Sam, "I just wanted to thank you again for saving my life."

Sam blushed at the praise and said, "You're welcome…" she paused, then continued, "But I don't think it was me that saved you."

Aaron looked at the floor and began to pry a little, "How so?"

Sam hunched over a little, resting her elbows on her legs and holding her chin in her hands. "I think that you'd been dead for a long time. And anyway, I'm not certified in CPR or anything…" She trailed off, sinking lower.

Aaron put a hand on her back and began to rub it, attempting to reassure her. "Sam, I don't care about any of that. In my eyes, you are the reason I'm alive. So, how'd you find me?"

Sam closed her eyes and sighed deeply. She opened her mouth, but her words were choked from her, retreating to the back of her windpipes. She eventually muttered, "I had a nightmare. A vision that Ryucs killed you. I'm not exactly sure how, but he did. I woke up and desperately searched the house, knowing full well that you would be at work. But I looked anyway. That's when I found you. Your body was cold and you had no pulse. So, I tried CPR. After around three minutes, I gave up and started crying. Then, I… I tried again. That's when you woke up." Sam sniffled, as if she was going to burst into tears again.

Aaron leaned over to Sam and hugged her tight.

Over Aaron's shoulder, Sam sniffled again and then asked, "What were you doing here anyway?"

Aaron pulled away in order to address them both. "I am no longer working for the police department." There was just a long enough pause for Sam and Lilah to gasp, but they didn't, leaving the room in silence. He continued, "I am working with the government now."

"What the heck does that mean?"

Aaron looked over to Lilah and said, "It means that, in a way, I got promoted. Big time."

 _"Can you tell us about it?"_

Aaron shook his head, then said, "No, I can't talk about it."

"Why so secretive? You like a secret agent or something?"

Aaron sighed and said, "Yeah, I kind of am."

Sam and Lilah's eyes grew wider, but they maintained their composure, as they expected nothing less from their super-human friend.

Aaron concluded, "Alright, I am gonna go for a walk. I'll be back soon." He got up and walked towards the door.

 _"I'll order some pizza for us, so come back in around half an hour."_

Aaron looked back and said, "Alright. See ya!" He then left the room and headed for the elevator.

As he reached for the button to call it, Sam ran up behind him and said, "Aaron! I just wanted to say stay safe. Ever since you went into that school and faced those gang members, I've been worried sick about you. And when you died, it only made me worry more."

Aaron had turned around to face her, but the elevator door opened which took him out of his thoughts. He stepped in and smiled back at Sam, who was standing outside of it.

Right before the doors slid shut, Aaron said, "Thank you for caring about me. And by the way, mouth to mouth CPR hasn't been used for decades. I think we both know that." Aaron widened his smile as he caught a glimpse of Sam's cheeks turning red through the closing slit of the elevator doors.

Aaron had returned to the familiar rooftop, just glancing into the opened window of the mysterious building. Part of him expected to see the mysterious woman leap out of it and land skillfully on the ground below, but all he ever saw was an empty window.

Aaron returned to the hotel after about twenty minutes, not wanting to miss the pizza. As he entered the elevator, he saw the delivery guy, a Mr. Mime, walk through the hotel entrance with two pizzas in his hand. He quickly reached his arm out to hold the elevator door for him. The Mr. Mime walked in and said, "Thank you!"

Aaron smiled and said, "No problem, seventh floor, I presume?"

The Mr. Mime smiled, _"Yes, how'd you know?"_

Aaron chuckled and replied with, "Because it's going to my room."

The Mr. Mime was taken aback, but said, _"Oh, well then you can just pay me right here for it if you'd like."_

Aaron shook his head and said, "I left my wallet inside. I guess we'll just walk there together, huh?"

The Mr. Mime nodded as the elevator doors swung apart. The two then walked down the hall until Aaron stopped at room 739. He swiped his card and opened the door, motioning for the Mr. Mime to follow.

Aaron called to Sam and Lilah, "The pizza's here!" as he closed the door and grabbed his wallet.

 _"That will be 14 Poké."_

Aaron nodded, took out 20 Poké from his wallet, and handed the Mr. Mime his money with the tip as he took the two boxes. They both exchanged thank yous and goodbyes as the Mr. Mime left the hotel room. By then, Sam and Lilah were impatiently waiting on the couch as Sam was flipping through the guide on the television screen. Aaron brought the two pizzas over and placed them on the coffee table. Lilah smiled at Aaron as a thanks as she took a box and began eating straight from it. Aaron giggled a little seeing Lilah eat like a lowlife, as he was always accustomed to eating with much more poise than the average person would. Then, after Sam turned the television on, took a piece out of the box and ate it the same way. Aaron looked at the two, as if we was surprised, but quickly shook it off and went into the kitchen.

Aaron grabbed a paper plate, a plastic fork, and a plastic knife from a drawer beside the fridge. When he looked around for a napkin, he saw none. He curiously began to rummage around the various kitchen drawers in search of them, but his search came up empty. With a huff, he stepped back, wondering where the napkins could have gone. His eyes shifted to an unfamiliar spot. Just above the fridge were two tiny cabinets. Aaron approached the fridge and held onto the cabinet handle, resting his forearm on the top corner of the fridge for leverage. As he swung his hand backwards to open the cabinet, a piece of paper shuffled out into the open and fluttered to the floor. Surprised that a random piece of paper was laying atop the refrigerator, Aaron bent down and picked it up. He moved the paper upward towards his eyes so he could properly read the abnormally small writing. It read:

 _I know we are only thirteen and I know that we are way too young, but I don't care anymore. We've known each other for so long and I feel like we hold a very deep connection with each other. At first, the feelings that I had for you were soft, in the back of my mind. So, I just shrugged it off and continued with my life. Now, though, this feeling is no longer ignorable. I_

Aaron couldn't believe his eyes. One of the girls had written this. And the note was for him. And it was unfinished. Aaron's head snapped back to the doorway, thankfully finding no one there. He quickly placed the note back where it came from, on top of the fridge, and closed the cabinet, forgetting about his quest for napkins in the first place. He took his plate and silverware and headed back out to the living room. By then, half of the pizza had been devoured by Sam and Lilah and they had put on a science fiction movie. Aaron slowly approached the couch and softly sat down. He then glanced over at the coffee table where the pizza box was. Beside it was a pile of napkins. Figures… the napkins were just sitting there the entire time. He reached over and grabbed a slice along with a couple of napkins and daintily cut off a piece with his fork and knife. As he did, both Sam and Lilah looked over and stared at Aaron.

Sam huffed and asked, "Why don't you just pick it up like a man and eat it?"

Aaron sighed and said, "I don't like to get my hands dirty," as he popped the tiny piece of pizza into his mouth with his fork.

Sam huffed again as Lilah grinned happily, hearing that Aaron appreciated staying clean, just like her. But at least Lilah made an exception when it came to pizza. Sam and Lilah turned their attention back to the film as Aaron stared down at his pizza. He desperately wanted to know which of them had written that letter. He slowly proceeded to whittle down on his slice of pizza as his mind pondered which one of them would be brave enough to profess their love to him. After an uncertain minute or two, his mind then shifted to his own perspective. 'Which one would I prefer to love me?'


	21. Chapter Eight: Homely Aura, Empty House

**Chapter Eight: Homely Aura, Empty House**

Aaron awoke early the next morning and got ready to meet his new colleagues. It was around nine o'clock and Sam and Lilah were up as well. They all sat in the kitchen eating cereal as Aaron checked his phone for any information on who his partners were. All that morning, he had been getting messages from an eager and excited Lucario, who must've been impatiently pacing as he was texting Aaron. Poorly spelled messages were being sent at a mile a minute as Aaron struggled to read all of them on time for the next one. Most of them just reiterated what Pulse kept mentioning: how excited he had been about the new job. Eventually, he received a useful text from Pulse that read, "Our partners are apparently a female human and a female Gardevoir." Aaron smiled as he shoveled some cereal into his mouth. At least he got some information.

Once the trio finished breakfast, Sam and Lilah took to cleaning the dishes as Aaron went to the balcony to meditate. As he opened the sliding door out to it, Lilah called from the kitchen.

 _"Don't die out there!"_

Aaron chuckled and called back, "I'll try not to. Thanks for cleaning up!" He stepped out into the morning sunshine. Silently praying that he wouldn't die again, he lowered to the floor and calmly began to meditate. Blue enveloped his body as his muscles and mind relaxed.

Before he knew it, Sam was shaking him back to his senses. His eyes slowly blinked open to stare up at her, as if questioning why she had broken his concentration.

She smiled and said, _"It's twelve-thirty. You have thirty minutes to get to the station."_

Aaron slowly got up and got ready. All of a sudden, he was just as excited as Pulse was.

Once Aaron arrived at the station, he waited in Rush's office for the others, he was a few minutes early, but had almost hoped that the others would be early as well. Early is on-time, after all. After a short wait, Pulse came in, with an untamable amount of energy. Aaron tried his best to calm the Lucario down, but nothing seemed to work.

Eventually, Aaron said, "Is this what you want your first impression to be for our partners?"

Pulse's bouncy and bubbly attitude toned down as he breathed deeply. _"You're right."_

Then, two people walked in, the first being a rather tall and slim woman. She had thick-rimmed glasses, long brown hair, and indigo eyes. The second was a rather small Gardevoir, whose dress was as pristine as her face. The Gardevoir had rather warm eyes, being a vibrant and lively green. Ignoring Rush completely, the human approached Aaron. Being somewhat intimidated, Aaron straightened himself up and subconsciously pushed his chest outward. She held her hand out and Aaron took it in the firmest handshake he could.

With a dry, monotonous chuckle, the woman said, "My name is Eliza, your new partner. And who are you?"

Aaron replied with, "My name is Aaron, it's a pleasure to work with you."

Breaking off the handshake, she chuckled. "Glad to see I still intimidate some people."

Aaron was astonished that Eliza knew that he was intimidated by her, as if she had read his emotions like a book.

The Gardevoir walked up and smiled happily. They, too, shook hands, but Aaron subconsciously shook her hand a lot more delicate than Eliza's.

 _"Hello Aaron, my name is Petra. I am so excited to get to know you more!"_ Her voice flowed smoothly like a calm river. Her happiness was contagious.

Aaron smiled and said, "The same here. It's a pleasure to meet you." Their handshake then stopped, with both of them moving on to Pulse.

Aaron watched them introduce themselves to Pulse. Eliza didn't seem to strike a good chord with Pulse; his eyes dulled a bit as they spoke. Then, Petra stepped forward. Immediately, his eyes opened more and seemed to sparkle. They introduced each other, then they all stood there looking at each other for a second.

Quickly seeing the impending awkward situation, Aaron spoke up and said, "I hate to jump right into things, but I've found a suspicious location that seems worth checking out. Who's in?"

Eliza grinned and said, "That's what we're here for, after all. Let's go."

They all filed out of the office, with Rush mumbling, _"Alright, bye guys. Nice meetin' ya…"_ as Pulse shut the door behind him.

As the day approached one-thirty in the afternoon, Aaron led his group out onto the streets of Zanesville as Petra tried to make conversation.

 _"So, how'd you guys get into this?"_

Aaron thought about it for a second, then answered, "Well, my story is kind of one for another time."

Petra gave him an odd look, and then turned to Pulse, who said, _"Well, I've been a policeman for most of my time in Zanesville, as has my father, the chief. It was always my dream to become a government agent and tackle challenges too complicated for the average officer. Once I met Aaron, I knew that my dream was more possible than I thought."_

Eliza spoke up, "Wow, Aaron. You must be pretty good."

Aaron nervously chuckled and said, "Don't get your hopes up. I'm thirteen and have no experience whatsoever."

This shocked both Eliza and Petra. They had so many questions, but they were too astounded to press Aaron for any details.

Pulse spoke up and said, _"What about you two?"_

Petra replied with cheer in her voice, _"Eliza and I have been partners since the beginning. I have impeccable Psychic abilities, so I'm very versatile and powerful. As for Eliza—"_

"I am certain I can explain for myself. Thank you, though, Petra," Eliza interjected. Even though her interruption came off as slightly rude, Petra didn't seem to mind. "Since I was a child, I've had a natural gift for computers and electronics. Anything that can be hacked probably has been by yours truly. Consequently, the government begged me to work for them," she grinned pridefully.

"We are almost there. Let's try not to act too suspicious around the area; it's kind of a shady place," Aaron warned.

 _"Please. Like Eliza and I are going to act suspicious. We've been doing this for years with the PERA."_

They came up to an old brick building positioned just off of the road. It looked abandoned, but Aaron knew better.

"This is it. I saw a suspicious woman wall jump up to the window in the alley beside it and jump into a window. I have more details, but here's not the best place to say them," Aaron whispered.

The three others faintly nodded as they nonchalantly walked by the building, stealing glances every once in awhile. Pulse paid extra attention to the alley as they passed it. Once they got to a safe distance, Pulse cleared his throat.

 _"My Aura vision has never been very good, but I can sense something off in that building. Would you all like to stop by my house for dinner tonight? We can discuss our next move and get to know each other better."_

Petra smiled and said, _"I would love that!"_

Eliza huffed quietly, "I have nothing else to do. Might as well."

They all exchanged phone numbers and headed their separate ways.

Aaron returned to his hotel room as the sky began to thicken with clouds. It was the first overcast day since he'd arrived in Zanesville. As usual, Sam and Lilah were casually laid out on the couch in front of the television. Aaron said a simple greeting and headed out onto the deck to meditate. As he sat, he glanced at the approaching cluster of clouds. He stared for a while, absorbing every small detail in the light gray altostratus clouds. Aaron was always fascinated by clouds, the sky, and even space in general.

He huffed and closed his eyes, falling into a deep meditative state. His lotus position had become flawless, allowing for optimal Aura flow throughout his body. Despite this, his mind refused to empty completely. Aaron had been having trouble with concentration due to the stresses of his new life, but meditated nonetheless. He was snapped out of his light mediation when his phone buzzed. Aaron reached into his pocket and pulled it out. He opened his eyes and read the screen: "Head over to my place, be there at seven." It was from Pulse. The text was followed up by a link to a map with his address pinpointed. He looked at the time and it read five o'clock. He smiled to himself and got up, heading in to get ready for the dinner.

Aaron stepped out of the bedroom in a new set of clothes, which were slightly more formal than his normal attire. He had on a deep blue polo shirt along with khaki pants and a belt.

Sam looked over to Aaron and asked, "What's with the getup? Are we going somewhere?"

Lilah glanced over as well and faintly smiled at the sight of Aaron's slightly dapper appearance. She had only seen Aaron dress up decently a few times throughout her life.

Aaron said, "I am actually going to Pulse's house for a nice dinner with our new partners."

 _"How are your new partners? I haven't heard you say a single thing about them,"_ Lilah chimed in.

"You two haven't heard anything about them because you guys have been glued to the television all day. Anyways, one is a human named Eliza and the other is a Gardevoir named Petra. Petra is wonderfully kind and lively while Eliza is a little dull and by-the-books, but I like that."

Sam and Lilah couldn't help but feel that they had new competition. Their eyes glazed over slightly and ceased speaking.

Aaron stared at the two girls who were lost in thought. After a few seconds, he said, "Alright, I'm going to head out now. I left some Poké on the bed for your dinner. See you guys later." All he got in response was a slight nod from Sam.

With that, Aaron left for the long walk to Pulse's house. The somewhat puffy clouds were cast overhead, bringing along a steady breeze, which pushed Aaron along on his stroll. His messy hair faintly flapped about in the wind as he stuck his hands in his pockets. He couldn't help but to reminisce on his old life and compare it to his new one. Before, he was just a seemingly ordinary kid living an ordinary life, albeit a rather privileged one. Now, he was a thirteen year old prodigious phenomenon living the life of an action hero, or so he thought. Aaron came to find that he felt more happy in his old life than he did with his new one. Ordinary and boring seems like gold when compared to stress and work. Life to Aaron seemed more rich when he had no money to his name. Now, with a job, he felt a hint of worthlessness. He shook himself free of his progressively worsening thoughts and continued onward, momentarily glancing at the map on his phone for directions.

As six-fifty approached, Aaron reached a small, old house situated just off of the main road cutting through most of the town. It had white paint, but looked gray with age. Aaron walked up the steep concrete steps leading up to it and knocked on the door. Pulse almost immediately answered the door.

Aaron was slightly surprised that Pulse had no clothes on, but quickly dismissed that and said, "Hey Pulse! Sorry, I'm a little early."

 _"It's no problem at all, really. Come on in,"_ Pulse said as he moved out of the way for Aaron.

Aaron stepped in and took his shoes off, leaving them by the door as he took in the sights the house had to offer. No lights were on. Instead, Japanese lanterns lined the ceilings, giving the room a low-lit, warm feeling. The floor was old, original hardwood and the walls were a monochrome white. There were no large pieces of furniture, but simple and soft rugs or a foam-filled mat. There was a huge television, but besides that, it seemed like the bare minimum was in the home.

 _"I know it's not much. I'm very minimalistic when it comes to interior decorating. I also find a lot of inspiration from Japanese culture."_

Aaron continued to gape at the unique decor. Eventually, Pulse led Aaron into the kitchen and dining room. It was night and day when compared to the living room and entranceway. The kitchen had state-of-the-art appliances and cookware. The stainless steel was almost as blinding as the lanterns that shone down on them, giving the illusion that the steel was copper-colored. The dining room, just off of the kitchen, was a simple room with a low wooden table and tiny floor cushions arranged around it. Once again, lanterns bathed the room in a warm light.

 _"I hope you don't mind eating while sitting on the floor. It's a Japanese custom I've acquired. In fact, I don't think I own a single chair."_ Pulse chuckled to himself as Aaron silently nodded.

'This place is kind of weird,' Aaron thought as he continued idly glancing around.

 _"There's not much left for you to see, but would you like to see the rest of the house?"_

Aaron smiled and nodded, looking back to Pulse. "Sure."

Pulse smiled and continued walking, leading Aaron back through the main area by the door. It was a narrow hallway with four doors. Pulse passed two of the doors and opened up the last one on the left side.

 _"This is the bathroom."_

He turned around and opened the door that was behind him.

 _"Closet."_

Then, he backtracked, forcing Aaron to back up even more out of his way.

 _"This is my bedroom,"_ Pulse said as he opened the first door to the left.

Aaron peered inside, only to be met with a dimly lit room with a simple bed resting against a wall.

 _"It's not much, but I don't need much."_ Pulse closed the door and turned around. He didn't open the next door, but instead pointed at it with his paw. _"That goes to the basement. There's nothing down there, though. Everything I ever need is already up here."_ Aaron smiled at his explanation and backed out of the hallway to allow for Pulse to get out as well.

Finally, Pulse led Aaron back to the kitchen and out a door. It led to a decent sized backyard. It was mostly luscious grass, but near the back was a huge sakura tree. By the tree was a small artificial koi pond.

Pulse breathed in and out, taking in the outside air. _"This is where I spend most of my time."_ He walked over the tree to where he was standing between the tree's trunk and the pond. _"Right here is where I am a lot, to be specific. When the sakura tree blooms, it is beautiful out here."_ He took a seat and closed his eyes, breathing slowly. _"I never asked you before, but do you meditate?"_

Aaron stared at the peaceful Lucario. "I do. I try to for many hours everyday, but some days are just too busy."

Pulse smiled and got up. He looked back to Aaron, who was keeping his distance out of respect for Pulse's seemingly sacred space.

 _"If you ever need a place to meditate, you're welcome to come here. I can only imagine what the meditating conditions are like at your hotel."_

Aaron smiled. "Thank you. It really means a lot."

 _"No problem,"_ Pulse replied as he moved back to the house.

Once they returned to the kitchen, Pulse said, _"You can hang out and watch the TV or something. The food will be ready soon. Make yourself comfortable."_

Aaron nodded and returned to the living room as Pulse turned to the stove to continue cooking. Aaron sat down on the rug. It was insanely soft, and more comfortable than a couch or chair in Aaron's opinion. Quickly finding that there wasn't much to do, Aaron sighed. 'Who knew such a charismatic Lucario could be so boring?' He got up from the rug and walked back to the kitchen.

Upon entering, he asked, "Do you need any help with anything?"

Pulse glanced back and chuckled. _"Believe it or not, I'm actually a very skilled chef. Especially when it comes to Asian cuisine. I'm quite alright, thank you, though."_

Aaron faintly chuckled, finding it odd that a Lucario like Pulse could find joy in the culinary arts. "I'm gonna go head outside. If you need me, just ask." Aaron walked out to the backyard, not waiting to hear a response from his friend, which never came.

Aaron sat down under the unbloomed sakura tree and stared into the pond. Countless fish flailed aimlessly throughout the water. The cluster of orange and white scales held no pattern in their movements, yet they collectively created a calming sensation of harmony and peace. Aaron found it funny how such a blur could could make so much sense in the grand scheme of things. His thoughts wandered as the dancing fish entranced him until a paw gripped his shoulder. Aaron shot up from the ground, spun around, and instinctively threw a fist at the attacker's face. The attacker, however, had other plans. The paw reached up and latched on to Aaron's incoming fist and halted it in place.

 _"Woah there, Aaron! You need to relax."_

Aaron got a better look at his attacker. It was Pulse. Aaron's eyes grew wider as he realized what he had done. "Oh my gosh, I am so sorry, Pulse!"

Pulse chuckled and replied nonchalantly with, _"Don't worry about it. Dinner's ready and the others are inside."_

Aaron's muscles finally relaxed, "Alright."

They both walked back into the house and Aaron joined Eliza and Petra on the floor in front of the Japanese dining table. There were four square trays set out, each with their own set of authentic chopsticks. Aaron was greeted with a warm smile from Petra and a neutral, stoic nod from Eliza. Petra had on the same dress as earlier that day, while Eliza had a simple t-shirt and jeans on.

"What is it with you two and wearing preppy clothes?"

Petra huffed at Eliza's comment, but Aaron replied with, "I just wanted to look presentable."

They both nodded in understanding as Pulse entered the room with a wok in one paw and bowls in the other. He placed the wok in the center of the table and passed out the bowls to each of his guests. He then took some extremely elegant chopsticks, flipped them to the back end, and carefully lifted some noodles out of the wok.

 _"Please raise your bowls and when I am done filling it, say 'itadakimasu.'"_

Puzzled by the odd new word they had heard, they hesitated to lift their bowls. Petra nevertheless was the first to do so. Pulse smiled as he began placing noodles in her bowl. After a while, Petra lowered it back onto her tray and said with perfect annunciation, _"Itadakimasu."_

Pulse slightly bowed his head as he moved on to Aaron. Once his bowl was filled, he thought for a second and concentrated hard, "E-tada-key-mass."

Pulse bowed and chuckled softly, _"Just say it a little faster next time so you don't sound like a fool."_

Eliza got a kick out of Aaron failing to say the word and laughed fairly loudly. Aaron's face turned red out of embarrassment as Pulse moved on to Eliza. Once her bowl was full, she blurted something along the lines of, "I-take-a-kind-mess." Pulse didn't even bow his head, the three others just bursted into laughter at Eliza's botched attempt to pronounce a Japanese word. Eliza fell silent as she lowered her bowl.

After a while, Pulse spoke up after laughing, _"Oh! I almost forgot about the sushi!"_

Aaron's face lit up instantly. He loved sushi, but rarely ever got the opportunity to eat it. Pulse left and quickly returned with a tray of various sushi rolls. Using the ends of his chopsticks, once again, Pulse distributed the sushi around the table. Finally, Pulse took a pitcher full of ice water from the kitchen and filled everyone's glasses. After he was done, he then set it down and waited. Aaron, Eliza, and Petra all stared at Pulse, who had taken a seat by his tray. They had all obviously noticed that Pulse had given nothing to himself.

"Uh, Pulse? Aren't you going to eat?" Aaron asked curiously.

Pulse had a confused look on his face, but he soon realized his mistake. _"Oh! I apologize, I forgot that you all aren't very familiar with Japanese customs. It is impolite for anyone to serve themselves. Could someone please serve the food and water to me?"_

Petra chuckled and began to concentrate. Her eyes turned a faint purple as her chopsticks began to levitate. They moved over to the wok full of noodles and moved some into Pulse's bowl. While this was happening, the remaining sushi on the platter flew over and landed neatly on his tray. After that, the pitcher floated over to Pulse's glass and began to gently pour water into it. The chopsticks finished filling Pulse's bowl as the pitcher was set back down. The chopsticks then floated back over to Petra's tray and rested, motionless once again as if nothing had happened.

Pulse faintly whispered while in shock, _"Itadakimasu."_

Aaron and Pulse both shared an incredulous look to each other, then to Petra. Her eyes stopped glowing and she had a questioning look on her face.

 _"What?"_

Pulse cleared his throat and snapped out of his stupor, _"Nothing, I am just impressed with your Psychic abilities. But, please remember to use the other ends of your chopsticks when passing food. It is impolite to use the side you use to eat from."_

Petra faintly blushed in embarrassment, _"I'm so sorry, I'll remember for the next time."_

Eliza grumbled and impatiently asked, "Alright, can we eat now?"

 _"Yes."_

Before Pulse even responded, Eliza had already picked up the chopsticks and began jabbing in her bowl for a noodle.

Pulse shook his head disappointedly and said, _"It is improper to use chopsticks as a fork."_

Eliza didn't care in the slightest. Her skewered noodle hung loosely on her single chopstick as she hung it over her head to eat it. Pulse tried to maintain a friendly face, but it subtly became scrunched with disgust. Then, Pulse took his noodles with his chopsticks and slurped them father loudly into his mouth.

All three team members glared confusedly at the Lucario, who simply said, _"What? It's a sign of appreciation to slurp your noodles."_

"Of course it is." They all shared a lighthearted laugh, more so the other three than Pulse, but they all laughed nevertheless. When it all died down, Eliza cleared her throat.

She gazed over to Aaron and simply said, "Alright kid, I've been dying to hear your story. So, what makes you so special?"

Aaron set down his chopsticks—he had been struggling to use them anyway—and began his explanation. "You may know this already, but I am half Lucario. I am a hybrid. Recently, my father ran out and left our home in Columbus, Ohio, so I set out on a journey with my friends Lilah and Sam to find him. You can see how far I made it." They all lightheartedly chuckled, but still listened intently. "We were walking. It was late at night. A man pulled his car over to block our path. Eventually, he kidnapped us. He had a gun pointed to my head while my friends were in the backseat. I got his mind to wander and snatched the gun and turned it on him. I got him to step out and walk. He said something I didn't like and I shot him in the leg, hopped into the driver's seat, and drove."

Pulse interjected, _"When officers got to the spot, they found nothing, the man named Ryucs had vanished."_

Aaron nodded and continued, "So I was driving like a maniac, and was pulled over. The officer was none other than Pulse. He drove us to a hotel where we have been staying ever since. A few days later, my friends and I were walking by a school when I heard gunshots. I ran into the building and managed to take out all four assailants, all from the 'M' Gang. Then, I checked every room. In total I found four children, all of which seemed to be hybrids. Unfortunately, I was only able to save three of them." Aaron's voice faltered as he remembered the boy missing some of his head.

Petra spoke with a smooth, calming tone, _"It's alright, Aaron. You saved three children's lives. That makes you a hero."_

"But I let one die. To him, I'm a failure." Aaron's head sank.

 _"That's when I asked him to join the police force and be my partner. Even though it's only been a few days since then, I know that it was one of the greatest decisions of my life."_

Aaron's head rose slightly to look at Pulse, who smiled at him. Aaron couldn't help by to smile back at his friend.

Eliza chimed in, "So, what about your father?"

Aaron sighed and simply said, "I don't know."

The room was suddenly enveloped in silence as everyone resumed eating. Pulse finished his meal first, with a giant slurp of his last noodle. He had picked his bowl clean; not a single noodle remained. He spoke up, reminding everyone of the real reason they had come. _"Aaron, do you have any information for us on this location?"_

Aaron finished chewing his sushi and swallowed, preparing to speak. "The hotel I am in is also where this mysterious woman is staying. She has straight brown hair and thin glasses, and seems to always wear a suit. She took the elevator while I did, and I asked for her floor number so I could press it for her. She pushed me out of the way and hit 'three' herself. She got out on floor three and went to the first door on the left. It wasn't her room though. She had to do this strange knock in order for someone to answer," Aaron replicated the knock on the table, "The door opened for her and she slipped through. Later, I was walking back from work and I bumped into her, literally. I said sorry, but she did nothing; she just kept on walking. My curiosity for her only grew, and so I jumped on top of the buildings and began following her from above. At five o'clock, she turned a corner and went down an alley. That's when she wall jumped up to the window."

Eliza spoke, leading her words with a guttural 'hmmm.' "It seems like we have an 'M' Gang officer of some sort. Someone carrying that amount of confidence and secrecy would have to be more than just a grunt."

Pulse nodded in response as Petra said, _"Well, it looks like we have an assignment. I'll get into contact with base and make sure we have the proper permits to investigate."_

"Alright, now if you don't have anything else important to tell me about this, I guess I'll be leaving," Eliza, apparently done with her meal, stood up and walked towards the doorway.

No one stopped her from leaving the room.

Once they heard the front door close, Aaron asked, "What's up with her?"

Petra giggled and said, _"Oh, you'll get used to her after a while. She's just moody."_

Pulse let out a sigh, _"Well, I guess that means that this party is over, then."_

Pulse picked up all of the dirty dishes and went to clean them, as Petra and Aaron gave each other confused looks. They heard Pulse muttering things to himself, it was quiet and had a hint of uncertainty in it.

 _"Was it my cooking? Did I say something? What did I do wrong? Why did she leave?"_

Aaron understood now and got up from the floor. He walked into the kitchen, where a flustered Lucario was scrubbing a bowl. He cleared his throat and said, "Pulse, everything was wonderful tonight. Eliza wasn't upset with you at all, that's just the way she is, I guess."

Pulse let out a huff and turned slightly to meet Aaron's eyes. His wet paws dripped a little bit of water onto the floor. _"I wish she wasn't so cold to me. Why is she?"_

Aaron's eyebrow raised a bit in confusion. "She's not just cold to you, you know. That's just her personality," he said in an attempt to comfort Pulse.

Pulse turned back around, grabbing his washcloth once again, and continued cleaning the dishes. Aaron stood still as an awkward silence filled the kitchen. Just as Aaron began to turn to leave, Petra entered, walking as elegantly as a princess would.

 _"Pulse, I would like to thank you for dinner tonight. It was spectacular."_

Pulse turned his head again, but didn't stop washing the dishes. He smiled brightly and said, _"It was my pleasure to cook for you, Petra. I hope you stop by again soon. That goes for you too, Aaron."_

Petra lightly giggled, only loud enough for Aaron to hear, and said, "I'll see you guys tomorrow."

 _"Bye, Petra,"_ Pulse said with a twinge of excited energy.

Aaron finally understood Pulse's strange behaviors when Petra was around. As soon as Petra left, Aaron said, "Y'know, you should just ask her out."

Pulse stopped scrubbing and stood completely still. In a nervous voice, he asked, _"What are you talking about?"_

Aaron quickly replied with, "You and Petra."

Pulse turned and glared at Aaron, _"I don't like Petra, leave me alone."_

Aaron stepped back in shock that his friend had become so defensive. "I'm sorry, Pulse. I'll just, um, head out now. Sorry." Aaron quickly entered the living room and quickly left through the front door.

Ashamed and embarrassed, Pulse sighed and walked to the basement door. He opened it and went down the stairs, making sure to lock the door from the inside.


	22. Chapter Nine: Obvious Espionage

**Chapter Nine: Obvious Espionage**

The new PERA division met up at a 24-hour coffee shop two buildings down from their target. Aaron sat by the window, staring out at the passing cars as he sipped his black coffee. He had been there for twenty minutes already by the time Pulse entered the shop.

Pulse had apparently forgotten about his altercation with Aaron the night before, as he sat down next to him and snickered. _"Buddy, you look like a shitty detective on a mystery show trying to solve a case."_

Aaron looked towards Pulse with a dumbfounded look and said, "Yeah, I'm an agent trying to think of the 'M' Gang's motives."

 _"Oh."_ Pulse had sensed a hint of ice in Aaron's words and chose to remain neutral, not wanting to upset him.

Just then, Petra and Eliza walked into the coffee shop and joined them at the table.

Aaron looked at everyone with a strange look. "None of you want any coffee?"

Eliza snorted softly and replied with, "I never need coffee." Pulse and Petra both glanced at each other with a hint of doubt.

"It's not like coffee would hurt."

Pulse nodded and interjected, _"That's true."_

Eliza pulled out a laptop that she had been carrying in a bag when she walked in. She opened it up and began to type. After a few keystrokes, she turned the screen to the group. "There are four screens, split up into their own quadrants. Quadrant one, or 'Q-One' for short, is for a surveillance camera. Q-Two is for another camera, handled by one of you. Q-Three is for data input. Q-Four is for a robotic camera."

Pulse was the first to respond. _"Wait. One of us will actually be going in there?"_

Eliza gave a dumbfounded look to Pulse and said, "Uh, yeah? Do you even know what you signed up for when you took this job? I mean, I didn't apply for a search warrant for nothing."

Pulse kept silent with a distant look on his face. Aaron took notice, but decided to ignore his partner's apparent fear. "Do you know where specifically to put the surveillance cameras?"

"Actually, yes. One will be placed on top of the neighboring building, facing down at the window you said she entered through. Another will be placed across the street, shooting the main entrance to the building. Hopefully, I will capture some pretty mugshots."

 _"What good will pictures do?"_ Pulse asked Eliza, tilting his head as he asked, much like a dog would.

Eliza smirked, knowing that she would have a chance to demonstrate her knowledge in technology. "I have created an algorithm that takes a still photo of a person and analyzes any unique body features of that person. Then, it cross-references multiple databases online to find any vital information on that person. Even a long-since deleted Twitter page will show up. This is basically how I find out who they are."

Aaron understood Eliza completely, but Pulse stared blankly, his eyes juggling between the laptop and Eliza. Pulse eventually uttered, _"Is that even legal?"_

Eliza smiled brightly, looking back at Pulse. Beyond her deceivingly gentle smile, was a hint of poisonous malice. Both Aaron and Pulse sensed the evil oozing off of her, and they recoiled back a bit in fear of what was to come. Despite the growing tensions, Eliza maintained a smile as she simply replied with, "Nope." The remainder of the coffee shop meeting drowned in self-perpetuating silence.

At four-thirty, the PERA team were all in position for phase one of their mission. Eliza was stationed at their makeshift headquarters, located across the street in a woman's bathroom stall in a supermarket. She sat on the closed lid of the toilet staring at the video feed on her screen. Her eyes never strayed from the cameras, making sure to not miss anything.

Petra remained in the coffee shop. She, too, was in a bathroom stall. Her eyes were closed and she was scanning the 'M' Gang building for heat signatures, entrances, or anything that could help the infiltrating team be successful.

Pulse and Aaron, to their dismay, were the infiltrating team. Aaron wore a black shirt, black sweatpants, and a chest-mounted camera while Pulse simply wore nothing. Pulse was sweating bullets as he glanced over at Aaron for reassurance. Aaron looked as stressed as ever, attempting to ease his oncoming headache by rubbing his temples. Pulse looked back down at the window entrance, even more frightened than he was before. They were positioned atop the same building that Aaron was the day he saw the woman.

Their earpieces clicked and gave way to a gravelly transmission. [Testing, testing, one, two.]

Aaron silently clicked his tongue to turn his microphone on, and replied with, [Loud and clear.]

[Now, wait for the woman to climb in. After that, wait thirty seconds and go in after her. Petra will guide you.]

Pulse nodded, mainly directed towards Aaron, and said, _[10-4.]_

The two Lucarios laid prone, waiting to see a single movement in their line of sight. As if time skipped forward, Eliza said, [O-five-hundred, Suspect arrival time T-minus zero.]

On cue, the woman in the suit rounded the corner and turned into the alley. She checked her surroundings, as she usually did, and proceeded to climb up the walls to the window. As soon as she reached the windowsill, Pulse began counting out loud, albeit in a hushed whisper, _"One, two, thr—."_ Aaron shot his hand over to Pulse and clasped his hand around his maw. The woman stopped moving and quickly turned around. Aaron knew that she had heard Pulse counting. They both quickly ducked back into cover behind the lip of the rooftop.

Eliza was quick to chime in, [You fucking idiots! She heard you!]

Petra cut into the transmission and said, _[Don't worry, she's not pursuing you. She jumped in and you are free to pursue… now.]_

'Thank Arceus it's still dark out,' Aaron thought. Aaron poked his head back up to peer into the window. Sure enough, they were clear to proceed. Aaron let out a long, low breath that he had no idea he was holding in. He hopped onto the ledge and leapt for the window. Pulse watched as Aaron fearlessly entered the building. He gulped and followed him in. Aaron hit the floor and immediately hid behind the closest desk. The room seemed to be an office. He watched as Pulse fell to the floor and crawled over to him. They both gathered themselves and took in their surroundings. Just then, Petra said, _[The room is clear and the door is to your right. The next room is clear as well, just be careful. Before you leave, plug a chip into the USB port.]_

Aaron reached into his pocket and retrieved one of the chips that Eliza gave him. In one swift movement, he inserted it into the computer that sat upon the desk. After that, Pulse and Aaron jumped up and raced out of the room. When they entered the next room, which was a conference room, they slid under the table.

 _[Guys, there's no need to show off. Just be efficient.]_ Petra seemed a little annoyed.

Pulse sighed in embarrassment and said, _[10-4, what's in the next room?]_

 _[Two gang members. Backs facing the door, take them out silently.]_

[10-4.]

The two went to the door and Aaron silently opened it up. It was a room of a few cubicles. The two men were in the nearest cubicles to the right and left. Easy. Pulse and Aaron both looked at each other as they charged low-powered Force Palms. They approached the men, who were typing at their computers. They both jabbed their palms into the necks of the two men, who fell limp and slid to the floor from their chairs.

 _"That was easy, huh?" Pulse admired his work._

Aaron giggled and replied with, "Don't jinx us."

 _[I'm losing my abilities, the distance and complexity of the environment is beyond my abilities. Have anything to help them with, Eliza?]_

[Nothing. Be careful and don't forget to chip the computers.]

 _[10-4.]_

They went around to every computer and inserted their chips. They spent extra time at the two gang members's desks. Aaron gazed at the computer that one of them was using. One thing in particular stood out to him. On the screen there was a tab that had a still image of another gang member with a phone to his ear. He looked panicked. The image, however, was greyed a little and had the words 'call ended' over it. Aaron's eyes widened as he realized the severity of the situation. It was a live video chat call.

"Shit."

The door burst open and loud bangs rang out. Pulse and Aaron instinctively ducked into the cubicle for cover as they prepared their pistols. Aaron closed his eyes and began to attempt to sense where the gang members were. He felt this twinge in the back of his skull that told him to place the gun to a specific part of the wall and fire it. He exhaled, raised his gun, and fired through the wall of the cubicle, amidst the gunfire, he heard a large gun fall to the floor, followed by a thud. He had actually hit someone. Aaron leapt out and continued to instinctively fire, successfully hitting everyone in the room. Pulse stood up, dumbfounded that a thirteen year old could do so much damage.

Most of the gang members were on the floor, bleeding badly. One of them however was still standing, holding her wound. She looked up from the bullet hole in her abdomen and her eyes met Aaron's. They were filled with pure rage. So much, in fact, that it had to have been more than just the wound that made her angry. She raised her own pistol and aimed the barrel at Aaron's head. His eyes went wide as he froze in fear. He dropped his gun and raised his hands in surrender. He knew that if he had raised his gun, his brain would be splattered on the wall behind him. Pulse was too scared to raise his gun either, in fear that she would fire. The woman stared into Aaron's eyes, as if she was judging him. Or she was judging whether or not to kill him. After a few tense seconds, she quickly shifted her gun to Aaron's arm and fired. The bullet grazed his arm, leaving a rather nasty burn mark. She ran to the other room, the conference room, and further into the office, jumping back up to the window and out of sight.

Pulse stared at the bodies of Aaron's victims as he asked, _"That was her, wasn't it?"_

Aaron gulped, his eyes remaining distant. He was clutching his grazed arm as he muttered, "Yup."

[Get the fuck out of there, you worthless pieces of shit!]

Pulse and Aaron quickly followed the woman out of the building through the same window that they entered from.

Once they hit the ground of the alley, Petra said, _[Scramble, go in random directions throughout the town and disappear. They will be on top of you for a while, so make sure you lose them. Don't return home for at least another three hours. Don't draw attention to yourselves.]_

With that, Aaron and Pulse went their separate ways, wandering aimlessly throughout the quiet town of Zanesville. Aaron eventually ended up back near the highway leading into the town, where he first met Ryucs. Ryucs reminded him a lot of the 'M' Gang members. His mind then flashed back to him pulling the trigger on his pistol. It was blurry in the moment, but afterwards he could clearly envision a larger man recoil back as Aaron's bullet pierced his heart, causing blood to erupt from his chest. Aaron stopped and sat on the grass beside the road. He knew it as well as anyone. He was a murderer. He had blood on his hands. He dropped his head to his hands and became numb as the hours of the day swept under his feet.

He didn't exactly remember how, but Aaron made it back to his hotel. It was dark by then, but he knew that returning home at some point was better than never returning at all. As he entered the lobby, he caught sight of the woman, the woman that stood strong after he had shot her, checking out of the hotel. She turned around and froze as she caught sight of Aaron standing at the entrance. She gathered herself again and proceeded towards him as if nothing had happened. As she passed beside Aaron she placed her hand firmly on the exact spot where she shot him, sending a sharp wave of pain throughout his body. He winced and tensed up as she said, "You don't know how bad you've messed up, son. Sometimes, it's best to step aside." She pushed him out of the way of the door and left without another word.

Aaron entered the elevator and stared at the panel. He was about to hit his floor number when his mind screamed at him to hit the number three. So, he did, letting the elevator take him to the floor that started his fascination with the woman. The elevator stopped with a loud chime as the doors opened. Aaron stepped out and approached the door to room 301. He let out a low breath as he prepared to knock on the the door. He performed the same knock that he had heard the woman perform. _One, a-two, and-three_. Aaron waited a few moments for someone to open the door. A few latches clicked within the room and the door cracked open a tiny bit, only enough to where the occupant could peer out. A tall, shadowy Sceptile gazed down on Aaron through the crack. Only after a few moments of silence did Aaron notice the gun peeking out as well, sneakily pointed at Aaron's torso. Aaron choked on his breath and remained perfectly still for the remainder of his time at the door.

In a low raspy voice, the Sceptile said, _"You are the last person I want to see right now. You have five seconds to leave before I ruin you, much like what you did to her."_

Without the need for another word, Aaron bolted to the elevator and took it up to the seventh floor. By the time he opened the door to his room, he was sweating profusely out of terror. Sam and Lilah were impatiently shuffling around on the couch, but they bolted up as soon as he arrived.

"Where were you?!" Sam nearly yelled, as she stood to face Aaron, who was pressed up against the door.

 _"We were so worried about you! Are you alright?"_ Lilah leapt over to Aaron and scooped him up into a big hug. Aaron was too frozen to hug her back.

Lilah let go, with a deep blush of embarrassment. She returned to the couch and sat down, staring forward without a hint of expression.

"I'm fine, I guess. I had a bad day at work." Aaron walked straight into the bedroom and laid down. He clamped his eyes shut and tried his best to pass out. He was tired of being conscious. The two girls filed into the room and crawled into bed with him. They started out distant, but worked their way closer to Aaron. Eventually the three were cuddled up in the center of the bed. Aaron kept his eyes closed, but enjoyed their company and closeness nonetheless. Lilah pressed up against his arm, where the burn mark was from the bullet that grazed him. Aaron winced softly, but released his tension as he passed out from the pain. Finally, he could take a break from the world.

Aaron woke up the next morning to a buzzing in his pocket. He had trouble adjusting to his surroundings, but quickly remembered that he was sandwiched between Lilah and Sam. He shimmied onto his side and pulled his phone of from his pocket and read the text. "Coffee. Fifteen minutes." It was from Eliza. Aaron could tell that she was still fuming over yesterday's botched mission. He slowly got up, as to not wake Sam and Lilah, and changed clothes. In his groggy state, he placed his pendant around his neck and left for the elevator. In the lobby, Aaron began to think about what exactly happened the day before. His mission seemed to bring up more questions than his team could handle. There were simply too many variables. He then remembered the Sceptile. A cold shiver ran up his spine. As he was walking to the exit, he stopped and turned back to the front desk. The receptionist was there to greet him, like always.

Before she even got her usual greeting in, Aaron blurted out, "Who is in room 301?"

She leaned back a bit from shock at his command, but quickly recomposed herself and replied with, "We cannot disclose any information about our hotel's occupants." She began clicking on her keyboard and jabbed the enter key with vigor, "But, I can say that the room is vacant as of last night! Would you like that room instead of your other one?"

Aaron stared at the marble on the reception desk and said, "No. Thank you, though."

She smiled and said, "No problem, have a nice day!"

Aaron said, "You, too," as he turned and left for the coffee shop.

As he approached the downtown Zanesville, he could hear low squeals of fire engines in the distance. He looked towards downtown and saw black smoke rising from within the town. He tucked his pendant into his shirt and picked up his pace. As he neared, his ears were bombarded with the sound of sirens and the sight of the burning 'M' Gang office building.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

Hello everyone! I am so sorry that I haven't updated this story in nearly ten months. I have no excuses. I am, however, so happy to be back! These updates will not be frequent, as I seem to have less and less time every day to write. I am also devoting some time to my new story, _Vixon's Retribution._ If you like this story, you will _love_ my other one! For now, I'm off. I'll catch you guys soon with new chapters of both stories. Thank you for all the continued support!

~TheAuraManipulator


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